Ignorance is never bliss
by G'ma Jloran
Summary: Yugi is trapped in a world of his own making and remembering how he came to be there. Now, he just wants out. implied yaoi YYY, and rated to be safe
1. Lost innocence

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh! If I did, then I would be in the Bahamas right now instead of studying for my Bachelor's. :p  
  
A/N: I have no idea where this came from, so please don't ask. It came to mind one night when I was suffering from insomnia thanks to my annoying cat Icarus a.k.a. Baka Jr. All I can say is that it's a twisted version of how things began and where they went from there. If it makes sense to anyone, then please e-mail me, because I certainly don't understand it. -.-;  
  
Ignorance is Never Bliss  
  
A long time ago, when I was sitting alone in my room nursing the bruises that I had gotten that day, I wished for friends. You know, the usual thing that everyone wants at some time or another. People who would stand by me during the tough times, people who would accept me for who I was, people who would just help me stay alive whenever I had to face the torture that was life itself.  
  
That was something I wished so often, that I finally put my faith into it coming true when I completed the Millenium Puzzle. This had been a gift from my grandfather when I was seven years old and something that I had spent eight years attempting to solve. More than once I had been met with frustration and was tempted to give up, but I never did. I kept pushing myself until finally, after so long, I completed the one thing that had stumped scholars for nearly five millennia.  
  
Upon placing the last piece into its setting, the eager anticipation that had felt was met with a golden flash of light that left me blinded for a time. When it cleared and the spots dancing in my vision disappeared, I was met with an even stranger sight. Someone new was standing in my room, someone who looked remarkably like me.  
  
He had the same crimson, ebony, and gold star-shaped hair as I did, only with a few extra lightening shaped bangs that I lacked. The same blue and black leather outfit that I preferred to wear, right down to the metal buckles that I wore around my neck and hands. He was taller than me though, as most everyone I knew was. And his eyes were hardened crimson, while mine were an innocent amethyst that couldn't help but stare at him with awe and shock.  
  
As I stood there staring, he reached out a hand towards me. If I had thought anything about it, I would have backed away instantly. After all, this was not someone that I knew, no matter how similar in appearance we were. But I didn't, and he was allowed to touch my cheek with one of the gentlest caresses that I had ever know. One that I might have melted into if fear still didn't have a hold.  
  
"Exquisite," he had murmured," Absolutely exquisite."  
  
He continued stroking my face for who knows how long, his crimson eyes examining every angle of my form. Still in deep shock from the stranger's sudden appearance, I made no effort to try and stop him. Instead, I just stood there in the middle of my room with a true doppelganger caressing me and, though I didn't know it, appraising what stood before him.  
  
Eventually, I managed to push enough sense into my mind to realize that I needed to know who he was. That was a reasonable enough question to me. I mean, it wasn't every day that a person comes face to face with a twin who appears after a golden flash of light. So I asked him, albeit in a stuttering whisper, who he was and why he was there. The answer that he gave me was the last thing that I ever expected to hear.  
  
"Why hikari, don't you know your own darkness when you see him?" he laughed, his voice rich and deep with mirth and power," I'm your other half, the one sworn to protect your light and to help you through this world. It's why the Puzzle came to you, as it was your destiny to solve what no one else could. We were meant to be together for eternity."  
  
It was hard for me to understand just what he meant. I also had no idea how he could be my darkness, why he called me hikari or what he had to do with the Puzzle that I had spent eight years trying to solve. Yet, somehow, I knew that everything he said was true. I knew that this stranger, my so- called darkness, was indeed there for some purpose. If it was to protect as he claimed, that remained to be seen.  
  
"There's no need to doubt what I say, young one. I am here to protect you," he said, now taking me into his arms," I wouldn't lie about something like that."  
  
His words sounded so sincere that I couldn't help but believe them with every fiber of my being. And maybe somewhere deep inside, I really wanted this dark one's promise to be true. Maybe in this person, I would be able to find the friend that I had spent so many years longing for and maybe have a better chance in life. Maybe he really was the one I had been waiting for.  
  
"That's right, aibou," he had whispered as his embrace tightened," I'm here to be everything that you've ever desired in life. Nothing will ever harm you again while I am here."  
  
It would take me awhile to realize that we now shared a mind link that allowed him to know my every thought. But he was well aware of it and was going to take full advantage of this knowledge. Something that would serve him well in the months to come as I too began to learn just what I had unwittingly unleashed upon an unsuspecting and totally unprepared world.  
  
After that night, he never left my side. During the times I was in the company of others, like at school or home, I never saw his physical presence. Instead, I felt it in the back of my mind as he used my eyes and ears to explore the world while he remained in the confines of the Puzzle. At other times, he would take over my body and interact with the world when he felt that the situation became too dire for me to deal with.  
  
This became more frequent as time went on, soon coming to the point where I was no longer allowed to control my own body. Instead I spent my time locked away in a room that I learned was my soul room, a place that was supposed to reflect my innermost personality. It was also supposed to be place where I might find some sanctuary from my other half, but even that was too much to ask for.  
  
At all times, he knew exactly what I was doing while he was in the physical world thanks to our mind link remaining constantly open. Just as I, unfortunately, was aware of what he was doing. As is often the case, there turned out to be more to my darkness than I had first suspected. For starters, he was no mere spirit who had been sealed away in a golden relic. He was actually the spirit of an ancient Pharaoh who had once used his power to control the entire known world with an iron fist.  
  
That control had been lost when he was betrayed by his high priest and a tomb robber who helped to seal his soul into the golden Puzzle that would one day come into my hands. It had been their hope that as long as he remained trapped within the confines of a Puzzle that no one could solve, then he would no longer be a threat. And for 5 millennia, that theory proved to be true. That is, until I came along and solved what I had assumed was a simple trinket given to me by my grandfather.  
  
Now, after waiting for so long, the Pharaoh was ready to regain what he had lost and he was going to use me in his quest. Needless to say, I had no real say in the matter. Whatever I might say or do to persuade him from this dangerous course, he never listens to me. He merely finds these actions amusing and goes ahead with what he has planned.  
  
More than once just what he has planned has given me nightmares. Every detail is methodically etched out to the fullest, no possibility of failure allowed into the scheme. Each part has purpose, working in a way that one might see as either the finest art or the utmost insanity. Victims of his schemes are chosen with precision, their punishment or reward handed out according to their own actions.  
  
There have been many unfortunate souls who did not deserve to be caught up within the schemes of him. Many of them had been people that I cared for when my life was still semi-normal. My mother and grandfather, the only real family that I had left in the world, the ones who had raised me from infancy to my teenage years. They saw me through many of life's hardships, offering me advice and lessons that helped to make me a little stronger than I would have been on my own.  
  
They were two of the strongest people that I ever knew, but not enough to save themselves. They were among the first that he took finished off when his bid for power began to extend beyond the small areas that he had already reclaimed for his empire. I do not remember exactly what happened to them, as he has wiped my memory of that time. But I do know that they suffered long and hard for challenging him once they had learned of his existence.  
  
The same fate befell Anzu, a girl that had been one of my only friends while growing up and someone that at one point, I thought that I loved. She too was destroyed, her long piercing scream as her soul as torn from its mortal shell and cast into the bowels of the Shadow Realm. Jonouchi and Honda, two boys who used to beat me up but who later became my friends. Both are also gone to the Shadow Realm, lost alongside millionaire Seto Kaiba when he challenged my darkness to a duel and lost.  
  
There are so many names and faces on the list of those who he killed through the years that I have lost count. I only know that there are many of them and that there is nothing I can do to help them. For I am truly alone in this world, unable to help either others or myself out of a misery of my own making. Just the way he wants it, as it keeps him in power and the world under his thumb.  
  
Despite everything that he has done, there is one promise that he has kept. When he first appeared and claimed to be my protector, he meant every word. He has protected me from everything that he considers threatening in the world. Those that threatened me in the past, their screams now echo endlessly across that vast wasteland known as the Shadow Realm. Those that betrayed my trust and broke my heart are now spending eternity serving as playthings for the Duel Monsters that serve him.  
  
Yet, like everything in life, the vengeance made on my behalf has come at a greater price than I thought I would have to pay. For every person that he has sentenced to the Shadow Realm, their screams echo in my dreams every night as a reminder of what my helplessness led to. For every person who now serves as mere toys for the Duel Monsters, I must add another life to the list to those whose worth is little better than filth.  
  
To know all this is part of the price that I must pay for helping to destroy the world. The rest is that I no longer have any freedom beyond what he allows me and that is minimal at best. Most of the time, I am confined to a set of rooms that others would call a penthouse suite but what I have come to call my cage. A fitting enough description in my opinion, since like a bird or a hamster, I must remain trapped here until my Master sees fit to release me at his whim.  
  
Unlike the cage of a pet, there is a great deal of what others might consider the best comforts to be offered as I have been given the equivalent of paradise in the material sense. Nearly every room has puzzles and games littering their floors, all for occupying my time when I am alone, with one place set aside for me to eat the best possible food available. Every wall has posters of Duel Monsters from the game, mostly of what had once been my favorite card, the Dark Magician.  
  
With all these things, even with the circumstances surrounding how they came into my possession, one might think that I have at something in life to be content about. Anyone who was tired of so much destruction certainly would have used it as a method of escape from the turmoil. For better or for worse, I am not one of those people. There is only one thing that I desire above all else.  
  
That single wish is to know death's sweet release. At this point, I don't care how it happens. Death can come with as much or as little pain as fate sees fit. Either way, I will relish in the ecstasy that comes from experiencing something that I have longed for ever since my life faded from a constant nightmare to a pure hell.  
  
This is something that he knows about since I make no effort to hide it whenever he scans my thoughts. I want him to know that regardless of what he claims was done to save me, I absolutely despise what his methods have made my life into. Many would call me insane for taunting the wrath of one who could shatter both mind and soul, but I really don't give a damn anymore. I want to tempt him, because if I do, maybe one day he will slip and actually kill me like so many others.  
  
The really sad thing is that no matter how much I might hope for this, there's no real chance of it happening. Because I know that out of everything in the world, that the one thing I want the most is the one thing that he will always deny me. For he knows that if he kills me, then he will destroy himself. After all, we are two halves of the same soul and without each other, there is no hope of existence.  
  
This very concept is probably the most sadistic trick that fate has played upon at this point. For it works both ways. As long as one of us exists, then we both shall. And through this, I have been made an immortal like he is, but only a point. Like him, I will live forever but I was born mortal so can still be slain. He will only die if I am killed, another reason why he has locked me away and keeps such close watch over me.  
  
To prevent me from thinking in suicidal terms, I am to keep my mind open to him so that he knows my thoughts and like a little child, I am not allowed to have anything sharp in my possession. There is also a spell on me that prevents me from attempting to drown myself in the sauna where I am bathed or from jumping out the single open window that I am allowed to have in my room.  
  
A sharp pang in my mind tears me away from my reminiscing and brings me back to the present. He's coming now, I can feel it. There's no sound to herald his arrival since shadows don't make noise. But I can tell that he's coming just by the aura of power and fear that's radiating outside the only door to my cage. Time has taught me how to recognize that much at least, as well as what to expect when he enters this last little corner that remains to me.  
  
It was very easy for me to sense that he was upset with me again and I had a pretty good idea why. Though it was against his direct orders to keep my mind open to him at all times, I had hidden my thoughts from him today. I did it so he wouldn't know about the depression that I had set myself into after waking this morning.  
  
He hates it when I get like that, no matter how much a situation might call for it. So he tries to make me stay happy all the time and 'punishes' me when I become too depressed. I won't go into detail into just what these punishments are, since there isn't much time left before he enters my cage and I see him face to face.  
  
With what little time does remain, I decide brace myself as best I can for what else I know is to come. Whatever he plans to do to me this time, I can show neither fear nor pain in front of him. If I do, then it will just add to his amusement and make me seem weaker to him than I already to. So as the door slowly opens, revealing the gold clad figure of him, of the Pharaoh the world calls Yami, I can only endure as I have for so long and ironically pray that darkness will take me quickly.  
  
A/N: More of a ramble than a story I know, but again, it was written when I was dealing with insomnia. It's also probably going to be a one-shot, since it was written under these conditions. I hope that someone out there enjoyed it though and if you did, please let me know. Now if everyone will please excuse me, I need to go strangle my baka cat who insists on yowling at 2 in the morning. 


	2. Confusing Beloved

Disclaimer: See previous chapter.  
  
Confusing Beloved  
  
A/N: I honestly hadn't planned on writing a second chapter, but after reading the reviews, I decided to add a bit more to this. This time, it's going to be a little different than before. Now we're looking at things from Yami's POV and working from there. I'll say this though. Writing from a semi-whacko Yami's POV is harder than writing a depressed Yugi. Also, this has sort of a flashback thing going on towards the beginning just like in Yugi's bit before moving onto the present. Hope there's no confusion from this, even though it's might be expected since this was a major ramble on my part. -.-;  
  
Rage, hatred, and a desire for revenge were all that occupied my mind during the countless years of darkness I endured within the confines of the Millenium Puzzle. Oh, how I longed for the day when I would be free of this wretched place and allowed to walk among men again so that the world may know my wrath. I wanted everyone and everything to know the pain that I felt, only tenfold.  
  
Exactly how I would carry out these plans for revenge and destruction were another of the only things that kept me occupied during my long darkened isolation. It was probably what also kept me from losing my mind entirely to the shadows that made up the world that surrounded my soul. If I had been weak or lost even an ounce of my will to escape, then I most certainly would have forgotten everything that I had been in my previous life.  
  
Yet even remembering can be a curse at times when memories are all that one has when trapped in nothingness. I can still see the faces of Seth and Bakura as they tricked me into stepping onto the dais which would allow them to stun my body long enough to seal my soul within the nearby Millenium Puzzle. Their expressions were ones of triumph and relief as they removed the world's rightful ruler from his place.  
  
Oh what I would have given to wipe those smirks off their faces for what they had done. But it would have to wait until I was free again and I would have the chance to track down the pair's descendants. Then they would pay for the crimes that their forefathers had committed against me. So I bided my time, mapping out every single detail of how I planned to regain my kingdom and punish those that had dared to challenge me. Awaiting the day when I would again see the days darkened, as night would blanket the world forever.  
  
That time came much later than I would have ever anticipated. With all my planning, I never would have believed that the first thing I saw in over five millennia would not be eternal darkness settling over the world, but someone as beautiful as my sweet little Aibou. When it came to my eventual escape, I always believed that the one who released me would just be some hapless mortal who had solved the Puzzle during one of Ra's more fickle moods. Someone that I would have no trouble controlling for my own ends and that I would feel no remorse when I sealed them away in some corner once their usefulness for my purposes would run out.  
  
I wouldn't kill the mortal of course. Though it might have been amusing to see them squirm both in body and soul, it would have been suicide for myself if I went that far. That was a side effect of the spell cast by that backstabbing worm of a high priest Seth when he tricked me into the accused Millenium Puzzle. Whoever completed the Puzzle, even if they solved it through pure chance, was destined to be the other half of my soul, my supposed Hikari. I would not be able to kill them if I wanted to ensure my own existence, so the best that I could do to my Hikari was torture them at my leisure.  
  
This certainly wouldn't be killing them, so I didn't have to worry about dying myself. But it would give me the chance I needed to show my Hikari just what their place would be. I wouldn't allow them to think that just because they were my hikari that would mean that they were immune from my wrath. I would inflict as much pain upon them as I would anyone else, only theirs would be eternal physical pain while others were forced to endure that of the soul.  
  
If there was one thing that I had never been, it was softhearted. Since my earliest days, my heart and mind had been as cold as stone and just as hard. I let no one into my soul, as there was no one worthy of that honor. After all, I am the son of Ra himself, which meant that there was no one in the world who was my equal. So why should I bother with the trivialities that the rest of humanity considered so important?  
  
Oh, what a fool I had been thinking that I was immune to such things. I may have been the son of Ra, but even I had a weakness that could be my downfall. The beginning of which happened when I felt the slightest tinges of warmth for the first time in millennia. It started as a speck that illuminated a single point in the otherwise blackened horizon of my world. Excitement had filled me the instant I was aware of this new addition, as it meant that my freedom would soon be at hand.  
  
Freedom would not come as swiftly as I might have wished. Instead, it came slowly, over a period of years as someone once again started to make my prison whole. It was frustrating at times, watching as the warmth and light only increased slightly at varied intervals. But if there was one thing that I had been, despite the temper I possessed sometimes, was how to be patient. If it meant that I would be free once more, I was willing to wait for whoever was solving the Puzzle to complete it in their own time. They would face my wrath for the inconvenience later on once I really was free.  
  
Eventually, this proverb would pay off for me. When the warmth reached what I can only assume was its peak, a blinding flash filled my consciousness and for the first time in what seemed forever, I felt myself being ripped out of the Puzzle. It hurt nearly as much as when I had first been sealed within the inverted pyramid but I didn't care. I was getting my freedom and that was all that mattered.  
  
The sensation of reentering the physical world after spending so long in the spiritual abyss was quite an experience. I honestly didn't know if I was supposed to feel better in a body or just given into the nausea that suddenly hit my reformed stomach. The feeling only lasted a matter of seconds before fading away like the bright flash of light which temporarily blinded me upon my return.  
  
My vision cleared slowly, as old sensations that had long been lost to me started to make their way into my memory once more. A chill very different from the shadows ran over my face as a slight breeze from some opened portal blew by me. Leather, though I knew not how it became my clothing in place of the royal robes I had once worn, clung to my body as if it were a second skin. The same effect which I discovered was played upon the other occupant of the small chamber in which I had been released into.  
  
The moment I laid my eyes upon the little one who had freed me, everything that I had thought I would do changed in an instant. Seeing his innocent eyes staring back at my own deep crimson with such confusion and fear, I knew that there was no possible way for me to harm him or to throw him away like some broken toy. In that instant, I knew that I would keep and treasure my Hikari for the rest of eternity.  
  
Why my heart took this unexpected turn, I never knew nor did I care. All that mattered is that I had finally found that one piece of myself that I hadn't even known I was missing until that moment. In this person from an age so removed from my own, I could see an innocence that complimented my darkness completely. A completion that I would do everything within my power to keep whole for the rest of eternity.  
  
My resolution had been strengthened when I felt the mind link open itself for the first time. The link had been forged between the little one and myself when he had come into contact with the Puzzle and then completed it. It would allow us to communicate telepathically with our minds, to visit one another's soul rooms when we were deep in unconsciousness, and to see one another's memories when we chose. The middle variable would come much later when the little one had fallen asleep and we were better acquainted with one another.  
  
When it first opened though, it mostly allowed me to sense the emotions that were floating about my Hikari's mind. There were other things that I picked up on of course, like recent memories that had driven him into the frenzy of completing the Puzzle at the unconscious level. Seeing these, particularly the ones where he had been teased by those fools Jonouchi and Honda and later beaten by Ushio for protecting the former, sent rage and indignation running through me like wildfire.  
  
How dare anyone touch my Hikari in such a manner?! Not only did it defile his flawless skin with their filth, but it also tainted his innocence with their mortal inferiorities such as greed and hubris. I could not allow that, not then, not now, not ever. Already, as I scanned through more of the little one's thoughts with the delicate touch of a trained concubine, a plan for revenge was forming in my mind. Oh, how those mortals were going to pay when I got my hands on them, twisting their souls beyond recognition as compensation for what they had put my Hikari through.  
  
I did not allow my Hikari to know what was thinking nor did I make him aware of the mind link. I saw no reason to have him asking me unnecessary questions when we could better spend our time getting to know one another. So with my emotions carefully guarded and my voice filled with a gentleness that felt alien yet so right, I steered my Hikari's attention to other matters. I explained to him about our relationship, that I was there to protect him and that from that moment on, he would never be alone again so long as I was there.  
  
Which was true enough. Even if I had not found it in myself to feel affection towards the little one, I would have been obligated to protect my Hikari for my own interests. And I would never really leave him alone, as we were apart of one another and our souls would forever be connected. But now that things had changed between us, I meant those words in a greater sense. When I said that my Hikari would always have my protection and presence by his side, I meant it with every fiber of my being.  
  
What helped to make all the difference was the way that the little one received my news. He was reluctant at first, which I suppose though annoying was natural under the circumstances. But once he had gotten past that, he began to welcome my presence in his life with open arms. He was happy that he might be able to have a friend that would stand by him and give him the support that he could not find with the worthless mortals who called themselves his family.  
  
From that moment, I gave him all that and more. We were together at all times, whether I was in my soul room while he was moving about the physical realm or I had taken over during times of trouble. Together we faced many trials and obstacles that both strengthened my Hikari's spirit and gave me the opportunities necessary to start regaining my kingdom and mete out punishment without alarming the little one. More importantly, our bond grew stronger with each passing day, bringing the little one's warmth and radiance closer to me as it melted my heart just enough for him.  
  
Spending one on one time together is what I believed helped our relationship the most during this time. Even if I had to in order to make Aibou happy, I hated sharing his attention with anyone else. By Ra, he was mine and none of the pathetic mortals that he hung around should been allowed anywhere near him. They should have been destroyed and scattered like dust to the wind for daring to think that they deserved a share of his brilliance.  
  
That is why I treasured the moments that we spent alone together. Just to have him smile and look at me with those adoring amethyst jewels of his on those long and stormy nights when he would turn to me for comfort. I would hold my Aibou in my arms, cradle him tightly against me while whispering reassurances in his ear. Then he would smile at me and snuggle closer to my warmth. I would only hold him closer then, watching as he finally fell asleep and he became peaceful in the way that only rest can bring. I would then keep guard over him as he slept, always reading to push away any nightmares that dared to invade his innocent dreams.  
  
Then there were the lazy afternoons when we were alone in his room and he would chatter away to me about what had gone on during the week and what was coming up. Things that I already knew about since I always listened to the world through my Aibou, but what I took in nonetheless. As long as I was able to spend time with the little one, then he was welcome to speak about anything that he wished.  
  
Sadly, as they tend to, times such as that are long since past. Aibou doesn't turn to me for comfort as he did what seems a lifetime ago. Instead, he flinches at my touch, though I don't know why. He knows that I would never hurt him, not for anything in this life or the next. I would do anything and everything to keep him happy and safe. Aibou is the only thing that I truly care about in this world. Everything I do is to make my little one happy.  
  
That's why I spent so much time avenging the crimes that had been done against my Hikari instead of going straight into regaining my kingdom. I wanted to make sure that those who had hurt him were punished for their crimes. I wanted them to know that to inflict pain upon one so pure and innocent would come back to them tenfold. And they all still do so to this very day, be it with their minds trapped forever in the Shadow Realm or serving as toys for my loyal servants, the Duel Monsters.  
  
Aibou is aware of this, but some part of him still remains ignorant of what I have done. He does not know that I waited so long before retaking my kingdom so that I could avenge his honor. The little one believes that I spent so much time biding my time because I was still weak from my imprisonment and needed to gather my energy before moving onto larger tasks. He thinks that was why I tended to use his body instead of creating one of my own as I did after a time.  
  
Sometimes I am tempted to correct this error in conclusion, but most of the time I decide against it. If Aibou wishes to remain ignorant, then I will allow it to be so. He would not believe me if I told him the truth anyway. Like so many other times, he would claim that I was lying to him so that he would lower his guard towards me. I do not wish to start another argument with him over the matter, as happened in the past when he protested over my treatment of the ones I punished.  
  
He protested the loudest when I dealt with his mother and grandfather. I suppose one can't blame him for that, as these were the people who had raised Aibou from infancy and who gave him the Puzzle that contained my soul. They were the ones who had comforted him when no one else had bothered to. For that I would have allowed them to remain in my kingdom alive and well cared for as repayment.  
  
They lost that chance when they discovered my presence and threatened to take my Aibou away from me. I could not allow them, so I dealt with them as I had with others who had displeased me. Their souls were torn from the mortal shells and then sentenced to a forgotten corner of the Shadow Realm. A place where they could think about their mistake and know how wrong it would have been to separate a yami from his hikari.  
  
Aibou still remembers them, since I don't want to strip so precious memory from his mind. But he can no longer recall how they met their demise, I saw to that myself. I erased every trace of their delicious screams and the blood that painted the walls of our former home from my beloved. If I had left those memories, it would have tainted him to the point where it would drive him away from completely.  
  
The same thing applied when he watched as I finally rid the world of the girl Anzu. She was once the undeserving focus of my Aibou's affections when he had a childhood crush on her and had been his friend for just as long. But things came to a point where I no longer desired to share Aibou's attention with her and then sent her mind and body alike to the Shadow Realm to dwell with the others.  
  
A better fate than what I handed out to the ones known as Jonouchi and Honda. The ones who had once tortured Aibou and then befriended him after he had risked his own health to protect them. I let them stay around because it was amusing and it made Aibou happy to have someone his own age to talk to. They were something to occupy the time when I wasn't able to give Aibou my full attention.  
  
When their usefulness ran out however, I gave the pair to my faithful Monsters as playthings. The two had shown loyalty to Aibou, but it was only after he had put himself at risk that they changed their tune. It was time for them to pay for the crimes of their past and what better way than to let their pain serve as an amusement for my Monsters. As they have remained since I stopped hiding in the shadows and reclaimed all that I had lost.  
  
Lost and altered memories occurred quite often in earlier times when Aibou managed to catch a glimpse of my handiwork. If his memory were allowed to remain intact, then he would become afraid and start to doubt his trust in our bond. Then he would fear me and try to run away from me. I couldn't allow that, so whenever he started to get fussy about things, I would put him to sleep and then wipe every trace of the incident from his mind. When he awoke, he simply thought that he had blacked out and nothing more.  
  
This is a tactic that I no longer rely upon very much. If used too often then it could cause great problems with the mind, possibly even causing one to go insane from the constant strain of having to fill the void of memories. I will not risk that no matter what the results might be when Aibou watches me punish the scum who dare to stand in my way and the plans that he picks up on through our link. Instead there are some things, even if I wished differently, that Aibou will just have to learn to deal with.  
  
Just as I must deal with him for disobeying me again. From the beginning, I have been firm that his mind remain open to mine at all times. This way I can monitor his moods and intentions, as well as to make certain that no one is attempting to threaten my little one. Like he always did in the beginning, Aibou did not question me when I first suggested this. But now, despite the fact that I punish him for it, he continually blocks off our link when I am unable to be with him.  
  
This time, I felt the connection break about midday. I had been sentencing yet another lot of prisoners my Monsters had captured near the western border to my palace. The fools, led by a pair of wretches named Otogi and Mai, had actually believed that they stood a chance of breaking through my defenses and defeating me. They had only gotten as far as the farthest border of my palace before my Monsters had sensed them and captured them.  
  
After having a bit of fun on their own, they brought the mortals to me. The entire lot looked like pigs clothed in tattered rags compared to the splendor of my throne room. I really had no interest in them beyond the fact that they had dared to encroach upon my domain. I was fully prepared to just wave my hand and let my Dark Magician and the others do whatever they wished with the fools.  
  
As I was about to give out the order, a wave of nothingness hit my mind. It was a shock that almost sent me reeling from my throne to the limestone floor below. Only by gripping the armrests of my throne was I able to keep my balance and attempt to figure out what I had just felt. A quick search of my mind told me that Aibou had cut off our connection again, as I felt a void in the area of my mind where he normally occupied.  
  
Annoyance and anger boiled through me as I understood that Aibou had disobeyed me yet again. He had cut off the link even after I had told him that it wasn't allowed. He was to keep his mind open to me at all times so that we would be in contact in case of an emergency. But time and time again he ignored my instructions and each time I am forced to punish him for his disobedience.  
  
So without a second thought to the fate of the prisoners, I simply waved for the Monsters to take them away and left the throne room and all within behind. I did not storm through the corridors of the palace, as that would be below my station as Pharaoh and Son of Ra. But I did allow my annoyance to show in other ways. More than one statue found itself being shattered by bursts of erratic shadow magic as I passed.  
  
By the time I reached the set of apartments in which I had given to Aibou to dwell, my anger had simmered back to simple annoyance. I could feel him on the other side of the door which only I may pass through. Not his mind, but his general aura of light and innocence which he radiates at all times. Only now it was radiating tinges of fear and uncertainty that came from him sensing my approach.  
  
He knew then that I was displeased with him right now, knew that I was coming to punish him again. Aibou had always been such an empathetic little thing, even when there were barriers between himself and others. It's a trait which I admire in him, as it makes him more sensitive to the rest of the world. But it can be a problem at times, especially like now.  
  
As I approach the doorway which only I can pass through, I wish that Aibou were a little less sensitive. Then it would make what I have to do a little bit easier for us both to deal with. I can already see that things will be difficult as I enter the room where Aibou is waiting, his eyes already watching my approach with the same fear and uncertainty that I felt outside.  
  
He was leaning against a desk that was littered with puzzle pieces and old Duel Monster cards. His lilac tunic was hanging loosely on him, showing me that he hadn't been eating properly again. Something else that I would have to look into when this was all over. But that could wait.  
  
Right now, I have to punish my Hikari for disobeying me again. But it was nothing he really needed to fear. It was just going to be a little lesson in obeying the rules that are set down for him. It will help him to understand that I do what I do for his own good. Then he'll understand that I know what's best for him and so there's no reason for Aibou to ignore my rules so often.  
  
As I come closer, I notice that tears are filling his defiant amethysts eyes. My own widen at the sight as I fear that he had somehow managed to hurt himself despite all the protection spells that I have placed upon the little one. I almost rushed to his side to see how badly he was damaged when I realized that he were not hurt in the way that I believed. Aibou was hurting because I was there and how my presence will affect his own now.  
  
I know that he fears me more than anything and that cuts deeper into my soul than anything else in this world. I know that he longs for the release of death and constantly tests me to see if I will give it to him. But that is something that I will never give to Aibou, no matter how much my precious little one begs for it. He is mine and I will keep him with me for eternity. He just has to learn that, be it easily or the hard way.  
  
I continued to approach my Hikari until he is backed up against a wall and has no other way to run. Reaching out to wipe away Aibou's tears, I can sense the fear rising in his mind through our link again. He tries to stay strong, to keep from feeling the weaknesses that he believed amuses me. I truly wish that my Hikari wouldn't think things. Those things just aren't true. I don't find amusement in his pain, I never have. Sometimes I might find my little one's actions adorable or confusing, but never amusing in the sense that he believe.  
  
It hurts me even more to know that Aibou believes that I would ever think such things about him. I've never seen him as weak, even when he was at his worst. My Hikari has a strength all his own and that is something that I admire in him. I love everything about my sweet Aibou, I always will. That's why I do what I do, why I keep him away from the rest of my kingdom, why I'm about to punish him as I'm about to do and have done. I do it all because I love him.  
  
I tell him so as lead him to the bedchamber and use shadow magic to bind him to the sofa within. It doesn't stop him from cringing and whimpering slightly at my touch, but I tell him anyway. I want him to know that this isn't done out of spite or annoyance as he so often believes. I want him to understand that this is done because it is from the unparalleled love that I have for him.  
  
My words are soon drowned out by the screams that escape my Hikari to echo through the chambers as I allow the shadows to crawl over him. There is no pain to be felt when I punish Aibou. His screams are more fright than anything else, as the light always has some instinctual fear of being snuffed out by the cold of the darkness. I would never allow that to happen of course, just enough for him to feel dampening cold as it seeps into his body and down to his very core. The very same chill that I felt while trapped within the Puzzle that Aibou wears.  
  
Each scream that escapes him is like a lash upon my own heart. It is hard for me to do this to my precious one and more than once I have been tempted to stop. To just take him in my arms and soothe his fears until his tears finally dry and he smiles at me again. But I can never do this. I must remain firm with how I punish Aibou. It is the only way he'll ever learn that everything is done for his own good. So even if it hurts me as well, I forced myself to stand by and watch as the shadows continue to drive more cold into the little one's twitching form.  
  
Unconsciousness claimed him long before I had finished administering his punishment. I wasn't too surprised. Whenever he allows himself to wallow in self-pity, it always takes its toll on him. The precious energy that he should save for more important activities is wasted on frivolous things that have no consequence. It annoys me that this happens, but I won't make too much of a fuss about it right now.  
  
I think he's been scolded enough for now. If I have anything else to talk with him about, I will wait for another time. Right now, it's getting late and little Hikaris like mine need their rest. Time to put Aibou to bed and pass the night safely tucked away in my arms while I wait for sleep to claim my own mind while I watch over him. So with a single flick of the wrist, I allow shadows and bindings alike to dissipate and free my sleeping Hikari.  
  
Moving silently, I scooped him up and carried him over to the bed which we share each night. Drawing back a corner of the lilac and ebony sheets, I gently slide Aibou under the covers. He snuggles unconsciously into them, looking even more desirable than ever as he does so. I watch him for a moment before joining him under the sheets, scooting closer to the center of the bed so that neither of us falls off during the night.  
  
Wrapping Aibou in my tightest embrace as I wait for sleep to claim me, I can't help but wish that he would not fear me and would look upon me I do him. I really do love my precious little one. I have from the first moment that I laid eyes upon. That is why I give him every possible comfort in the world, why I make sure that nothing in this world brings harm to him, even himself. I want to protect and shield him and his light for all eternity so that we may be together always. As it was meant to be and always will.  
  
A/N: Okay, I know that some of Yami's thoughts were a bit different from Yugi's impression of him, but it's for a purpose. I wrote this in a different mind set than when I wrote Yugi's POV, meaning I wasn't dead tired and wanting to strangle my stupid cat. I guess I was going for a psycho Yami with a loving obsession towards his Aibou. Kinda like Yami Marik, only without looking like his head got caught in a blender for two hours and the desire to destroy basically anything that moves. . 


	3. Unwanted Fate

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-gi-oh!, then my cat would be wearing a diamond studded muzzle so that I could get some sleep.

A/N: Surprising as it is, I'm actually starting to get a solid plotline for this story. This time it's thanks to not only Icarus keeping me awake, but also his sister and partner in crime, Yami Neko. And before anyone asks, yes, that is my other cat's real name. She's called that because of her dark fur and I decided that it would be funny to call her 'dark cat' in another language. Though trust me, at the rate she and Icarus are going, I'm VERY tempted to call her something a little more descriptive and a lot nastier. -.-

Unwanted Fate 

According to psychologists and philosophers, dreams are supposed to be a release from the daily torments that make up everyday life. They give one a chance to sort through the experiences that have been gained and just what sort of meaning that they may or may not have in the grand scheme of things. A way to further understand just how these things work in the deepest parts of one's heart.

I never gave much thought to this sort of thing in the past, as the only dreams that I really ever had were those of any normal teenage boy. Dreams about girls, especially the particular one that I thought that I liked, about what my future might be or where I might want to go someday after I had gotten out of high school. The sort of things that seemed to hold the most substance to me.

Needless to say, I don't have those sort of dreams anymore. All I ever see in my dreams are nightmares created from my present existence or the few scenes from the past that I can still remember. And if these images don't fill my sleeping mind, then I see nothing but blanks where old memories used to be. To this day, I honestly don't know which is more frightening, the nightmares or the void.

Of everything that I have come to know however, I know that there is something far worse than either of these things. That is the shadows that he has at his disposal and which he uses to torment so many for his pleasure. The very thought always makes me shiver. For despite the intense warmth that enveloped me on all sides, I could still feel the shadows' chill clinging to my skin and taunting me as it threatened to burrow deeper into my insides. It was a feeling that always made me sick to my stomach every time I felt it. I hated that it was like this, as it meant that I had again survived one of the milder punishments that he handed out to me. And that meant that I was still alive and safely, and I use that term loosely, within his possession.

As I became more aware of this fact, I realized that the haze of sleep was starting to leave my mind and with it any philosophical thoughts which had been wandering around my mind. I was becoming more and more aware of where I was and what was happening. Like so many times before I fell unconscious, I was no longer strapped down to the couch by magical bonds while damn shadows covered my body and he stood over me watching and muttering that it was for my own good.

Instead I was lying in the king-sized bed that was in what I guess one could consider our shared bedroom, tucked in the tight embrace of said one who claimed to torture me out of his love for me. There is an irony to this kind of situation that never ceases to amaze me even after all this time and sometimes I'm still trying to figure it out. I probably never will though. Some things, as I have learned through hard won experience, are just never meant to be solved by the human mind. They are meant to remain mysteries and to continue to confuse people throughout their lifetime.

At the moment, the only confusion that I have at the moment is exactly how I was going to get myself out of Yami's embrace without waking him. While I was now wide-awake, he was still deep in slumber and cuddling closer to me as if I was a stuffed animal or favorite plushie. From the peacefulness that I was picking up from his end of the link, I knew that he wasn't going to be getting up any time soon. If anything, he would probably keep sleeping right through the morning if he chose.

It was one of the benefits of being an all-powerful Pharaoh and complete ruler of the world. He was able to set the running of his kingdom to suit himself rather than worry about what the court and populace required. If he wanted to lie about all day, cuddling with a very unwilling and annoyed partner, then he was perfectly capable of doing so. It wasn't as if there was going to be anyone other than said partner who would offer any complaints.

Not that anyone was going to hear what those complaints were going to be. Other than Yami and myself no one was ever allowed within my cage. If anyone dared break through the layers of spells that surrounded the entire area, then they were in for a nasty surprise. Just like the spells that were placed around me, the ones around the cage were designed to either obliterate or disable anyone who got too close.

I've never actually seen the results of this or at least any times that I can remember. But just like everything else with Yami, I knew what sort of consequences he put into his spells thanks to the link. There is only so much that can be blocked on either end, especially when the experiences being felt are intense and overwhelming. So either one of us can tell just when something exceptional is happening with the other, whether we want to or not.

And at the moment, I do not want to be in bed with my yami curled around me. So I returned to square one in trying figure out just how I was going to get out of the dear Pharaoh's embrace this time. There were some tricks that I had used in the past that might have worked, such as spending a few hours slowly wiggling out of his grasp and then slipping a pillow in my place. He would start to cuddle that while I got away to hide in a closet to get some peace in for about half an hour before he realized that it wasn't a warm body that he was hugging.

Then he would wake up in a bad mood, throw the pillow away and start stalking about the rooms trying to find me. It would never take him long to find me, even when I closed off our link. And when he found me, I could look forward to Yami seeing it as a very annoying game and then punishing me by confining me to bed until he felt that I had learned my lesson. And I don't mean by ordering me to stay put until he said otherwise like one does while sick.

I mean he would actually confine me to the bed whenever he wasn't in the room by creating bars that turned it into a literal cage. Like everything else he created, the bars were made of shadow magic and therefore not something that a Hikari like myself or any human for that matter would readily touch. And those bars would become a barrier that keep me imprisoned for as long as Yami felt it necessary to teach me a lesson about running away from him.

A shudder ran through me when I thought about that, remembering the deep chill that came even the shadows were just present. It wasn't as bad as having the damn things crawl all over you, but it was enough to make still make me wary of the whole mess. Maybe, despite my desire to be free of my captor, it might be a good idea for me to reconsider the plans I was trying to formulate.

As much as I wanted to get away from Yami, part of me was in no hurry to have a repeat of yesterday's punishment. The thoughts that I had of the shadows in my barely waking mind came back in full force and made that reluctant part of me want to just endure the embrace I was trapped in. It seemed a better option than risking Yami's for a second time in less than twenty-four hours.

Another, more daring part of myself was more than willing to take the risk though. The side of me that was continually defiant against Yami's advances, regardless of the consequences. And as it often did in the morning for me when uncertainty struck, I was at war within myself. Part of me wanted to attempt the escape and risk punishment, while the other half was willing to endure the imprisonment that I was kept in at the moment.

I don't know how long I kept going through that age-old debate, but time passed faster than I would have anticipated. And in the end, it brought about the deciding factor that ended the internal war going on within me for that morning at least. While I was distracted, I was startled out of my reverie when I felt Yami's end of the link start to open up again. For me, that was a clear signal that he was finally starting to wake up and that I would have a chance at momentary freedom soon.

The only thing that I had to do to get that freedom was to be patient. I knew that eventually, after he had woken and gone through the usual routine, then Yami would leave me so that he could go to Court. So I would just have to endure this a little longer and then I would at least have physical distance between us. I would still have him in my head of course, but at least I wouldn't have to be cuddled in his arms like some damn toy.

_ Good morning> Aibou _Yami yawned as he finally returned to the land of the waking.

He then took a moment to stretch and work out the kinks he had gotten during the night. When he did this, Yami released his hold on me. I took this as a chance to start inching away from him. It wouldn't be much nor would it take him a great deal of effort to catch me again unless I moved quickly, but any distance between us would be sufficient. Just so long as I wasn't as intimately close to him as I had been.

_Good morning _I answered dryly.

I honestly don't know how he can ever act so calmly after putting me through so much grief last night. Maybe it's just another example at how coldhearted he really is towards my feelings, no matter what he claims otherwise. He really is a dark spirit, with no trivialities such as a heart and the true emotions of love and kindness to slow him down one iota.

_ Stop that> _a voice ordered sternly in my mind.

I couldn't help but wince at his tone. It was one that I had become familiar with through the years, coming into play only when Yami feels I need to be treated like a young child. Right now, I knew just why he decided to use that particular mental tone with me. As I almost always did the mornings after Yami punished me, I had thought something that displeased him immensely.

When that happened, I could either look forward to being scolded or punished again, only the latter would happen in a lighter tone than what I had experienced previously. As arms reached out and took hold of me again, I figured that it would be the scolding. This could mean anywhere from a few moments to hours of being told that I shouldn't behave like that.

_ You're right. You shouldn't worry about those things, little one> _he chided as I had suspected, snuggling closer to me, _Someone like you is not meant to worry about the melancholy parts of life. You need only think of our bond and staying happy. I will take care of everything else.>_

Oh, how I wanted to yell and scream at him that there was definitely more that I should be thinking about than what he said I should be doing. I wanted to think of some way to get myself out of this living hell so that I could finally have some peace in my miserable existence. I wanted to be able to have the same solitude with my thoughts that I had once and not have to worry about someone else scanning through them without my consent.

But I knew that it would never happen. He would never allow me to have my thoughts to myself again on a permanent basis, no matter what I said. The very request itself would send him into a frenzy that would result in him drilling as deeply into my mind as possible to make sure that I kept the link open. The consequences of that would have a signal effect for him and become a double-edged sword for me.

He would be more in touch with my thoughts than ever before, having my mind touching his every second just like he wanted. I on the other hand, would be left an almost empty shell. My mind and spirit would be drained from the fight that I knew would come from the struggle to keep Yami from going deeper into my thoughts than he already was. I would be left as nothing more than a broken doll that would be good only for proving just how weak the human spirit is compared to higher forces.

_ I told you to stop thinking like that. You are not weak, Aibou. You are strong> _Yami growled into my mind.

_If I was strong, then I wouldn't be like this. I wouldn't let you hurt me, you bastard_ I countered angrily.

For once and to my utter amazement, silence was the only answer that I received. No scoldings of either harsh or gentle nature, no deep embraces that left me paralyzed and completely breathless, no lectures on how I should be thinking. Just utter silence that filled his end of the link and left me totally confused on mine.

And that was probably what scared me the most. I was so used to Yami reacting instantaneously to my defiance that it was almost alien to have him just lie there. For a moment, I was actually starting to think that he was sick or something, though I knew that it was a totally farfetched notion. Then, before I even had a chance to react, the reactions that I was so used to suddenly went back into play again.

_ Never use that language again, Hikari. I mean NEVER>_ Yami ordered forcefully in my mind, _I will not tolerate that sort of thing coming out of your mouth or running through your mind. Nor will I allow you to downgrade yourself as a weakling or believe that I hurt you. I love you and do what I must to teach you your place as my Aibou and a Hikari.> _

For a brief second, I was almost scared from the tone that he was using. The same way I used to cringe in those rare instances in the past when he became upset with me. A frightened child that just wanted to be happy with his yami and please him. The same frightened child that made his appearance now as I quivered for that brief second under Yami's stern words. The same child that managed to bring him out of his fury and caused him to ease off as I took control of myself again and forced control over my mind again.

_ Oh Hikari> _Yami sighed, his voice going softer than what it had previously been.

I remained silent, seeing no reason to respond further to him. It wouldn't make a difference at this point. I had already made a fool of myself by letting my fear get the better of me again. The only thing that it would get me was just another lecture and probably just more pain one way or another. So for once, I knew it was best to reign in my defiance and just suffer whatever the Pharaoh decided to do.

_ Just stop thinking like that, Hikari mine. I keep telling you that. I keep telling you that I love you and that there's no reason for you to be afraid anymore> _he soothed, _Your punishment is over now and I've forgiven you for disobeying me. Be happy now. Smile for me, little one. Smile like a Hikari should. Don't worry about things that don't have any meaning.>_

The tone was meant to be gentle, but I could sense the command underneath. He was going into what I have come to term as 'Pharaoh mode'. When Yami gets like that, then he expects everything he says to be obeyed without question. It comes from his earlier life in Egypt, where he was raised in a palace where he had everything and anything he desired. Nothing and I mean nothing was ever denied to him, even if the situation called for him to be deprived of whatever he was screaming for.

But no, he was raised to be someone who believed that he was the highest form of life in the world. None were equal to him, the living son of Ra himself. He was allowed to have the best that existed in the world while the rest had to make do with the remains. In ancient Egypt, then known as Khemet, it had been the most valuable trade routes and its spoils. Now, it was having me as his personal pet and ruling the world with an iron will and fist. In short, Yami was just being a spoiled brat who had gotten everything he wanted and never deserved in both his lifetimes.

Like he always did, he picked up on these thoughts and the reasons that I had for them. I was almost expecting him to start scolding me again, saying that I was misbehaving again. But for once, he said nothing about my thoughts. Instead, though I felt a bit of annoyance aimed at my behavior, Yami just cuddled closer to me and hugged me even tighter than before. I forced myself to remain as slack as possible so that he would remain as calm as he had been so far. I hoped that maybe if I went along with whatever he wanted to do he might leave me alone at some point and then I could be alone in what little peace remained in my broken reality.

I could feel more of Yami's annoyance spread through the link as he caught onto my desperate desire and slightly released his hold. It wasn't enough where I could break away from him if I tried, but it was enough where I was able to look up at him. His crimson orbs were caught in a hybridization of concern and anger as he glanced back down at me. I interpreted this as him being worried that I wanted to be away from him and upset that I would even think such a thing.

He's always been an extremely possessive person when it comes to what he considers his property, especially where I am concerned. I can remember times when Jou, Honda, and Anzu were still in this world and they would come over to visit me. Though he hid it well most of the time and even managed to appear that he was happy to see them, there were still those days when Yami would find ways to chase off the others. Then my three friends would be so badly frightened that none of them would even look at me for several days afterwards.

The result of this was that I would always complain to Yami about how rude he was to my friends and that I wanted him to start treating them better. After all, they were just as a part of my life as he was. I had wanted everyone to get along since I believed that we were bound to spend so much time around one another. It was the most logical course as far as I could see.

But then, like he always did when I was upset, Yami would take me in his arms and hug me tightly against him. Using his mind, he would soothe the anxiety I felt over the situation and then whisper comforts that would eventually make me forget why I was even upset with him. Then things would settle down again, we would be at peace, and the problem was forgotten until the next time.

Now there is no such alternative result for us anymore. Now if Yami became overpossessive and I became upset, no amount of hugging and soothing would get me to calm down. I would fight and defy him with as much strength as I could muster, always hoping that somehow I would actually manage to do some damage against him. My hopes were never fulfilled of course. Yami would always overpower me in the end or simply let me tire myself out so that it was easier to handle me.

Right now, the option he went with was the former. Tightening his arms around me again and drawing me closer to him again, Yami just sat where he was, as he seemed to be collecting himself. I could feel the emotions from his side of the link growing more intense as the seconds ticked by. The old ones of annoyance, concern, and anger were joined by newer ones of hurt and determination as I could feel that Yami was about to make a decision of some sort that I knew I wasn't going to like.

"You will not be remaining in your quarters today, Aibou. You will be coming to Court with me for the day," Yami said finally.

If there has ever been one thing that he can say to me during our daily existence that sets off all the alarms it is that phrase there. It was the only thing that frightened me more than what he himself could do with those damn shadows of his. For with it comes the fact that I will no longer have the sole comfort that comes from remaining in the amnesty of my cage. I will be utterly and completely exposed to a world that I may as well be dead to.

"You spend too much time alone here, little one. That is what makes you so upset and uneasy when I come for you. I don't want my Hikari acting like that. So it will do you good to get out for the day and have the chance to get some fresh air," he continued in that commanding tone that I know all too well.

There was no chance that I could find no way out of this as I sometimes managed in the past. Today, whether I liked it or not, I was going to be spending my time with Yami. I was going to leave the false safety of my cage and head into the real danger that is Yami's Court. A place where I had no support or protection other than Yami himself, as no one saw reason to be my ally.

To the world beyond the rooms that I live in, I am either a traitor to humanity or simply the Pharaoh's unworthy lover. I have no worth as a person as others do. I am merely a possession, a toy that no one feels sorry for. The only feelings that others have for me are disgust and hatred. For them, there is neither reason nor cause to act any other way towards me.

I suppose that I can't blame them for being that way. It is my fault that the world has been left in the state that it has. If I hadn't been so determined to solve the Millenium Puzzle and get my stupid wish for friends, then life would still be normal. The countless lives that have been ruined in the last few years would have been untouched and go on without incident. People who have lived and died as they were meant to do instead of constantly looking over their shoulders as they did now.

And I might have been miserable with my life, but at least it wouldn't have had anything to do with the supernatural. I would still have my mother and grandfather there to comfort me when things went wrong instead of a sadistic bastard who never lets me have my own mind to myself. I wouldn't be facing another mental reprimand now as the same bastard embraced me tightly again before forcing me out of bed to prepare for the coming torture.

A/N: Well, I guess this wasn't the best chapter that I've done so far, but it was mostly to help move things along. It was mostly just to show how Yugi views Yami on a one-on-one basis and his reactions to the dear Pharaoh's possessive nature. Not a very healthy relationship but it's one that he's stuck with in my story. Also, I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I've just been very busy with school and personal life. I can't promise that I'll be able to update this or Light's Sojourn any time soon, but I'll do it as soon as possible. So until then, later and thanks for reading.


	4. Darkness's Treasure

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

Darkness's Treasure

A/N: Sorry it took so long for an update, but I've been having to take care of my cat Icarus a lot lately. He got himself into a fight with another tomcat and then we had to take him in to the vet for stitches. It'll be awhile before he's able to have them out, so I have to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't pull them out or get into anymore trouble. So if there are any mistakes in this, I'm sorry. My attention is just really divided at the moment.

When I sleep, it always holds a twofold effect on me. On the one hand, I was able to restore my lost energies and be close to my Aibou during the long hours of the night. While on the other, I am subject to the one thing that I share in common with mortals and that is nightmares. Not the kind that Aibou used to have in the old days, when he would dream about someone was chasing after him with the intent to harm. Nor were they the kind that sometimes plagued him now when he tried to remember things that were best left forgotten. No, mine were much darker and soul shattering that anything that could possibly be spawned from the innocent mind of my Hikari.

My nightmares are most often of the time that I spent trapped within the Millenium Puzzle. Whenever I have such dreams, though I won't readily admit it, I do feel apprehensive about the thought of being trapped there again. Being confined like that reminds me of how I had allowed myself to be lured into a trap set by Seth and the Tomb Robber. I had been a fool then and had ended up paying a very heavy price. It is not something that I like to be reminded of at any time.

My one respite from these unwanted fears is my Aibou. In him, I am able to find the safest haven when I wake up to having him in my arms. So long as he was there, I knew that I wasn't alone. I didn't have to worry about returning to the abyss that I was trapped in for so long. I was alive and well in the physical world with the one that I held the most dear.

And dear to my heart he is. Aibou is everything that I would ever want in a lover and a confidant. It often brings to mind the few wondrous creatures that humans dreamed up that I actually agree with. In his native language, the most gentle and beautiful of these wondrous beings are known as tenshi or angels. Which is exactly what he is to me, a gentle, beautiful, and unique tenshi. There is no one else that will ever be an equal to my wonderful little Aibou. His light is the one thing that will always brighten my otherwise dark world and brings me true joy whenever we are together.

It is unfortunate that he always chooses to deny this fact and seeing the good fortune that he brought into both our lives by seeing it as how the world had become ruined. There is no reason for him to believe such since the world had already pretty much been ruined by the pettiness of mortals long before I was even born in my first lifetime. They often had wars that left countless of their own kind without homes or food, genetically created diseases that could wipe out just as many lives, political upheavals that provided no sort of stability for anyone. Not to mention the destruction and squander of the few resources that could have been put to far better use under stricter management.

I instigated such a strict control when I finally regained my power and started to rebuild my empire. Even with the help of my loyal Monsters, that had been a long and difficult process that had taken my more than a year to stabilize. By the time that it was accomplished however, I ensured that the remaining resources would not be squandered on frivolous things like cars, televisions, and cell phones. Instead, they were put to better use in making storehouses, new roads, and more suitable, cleaner transportation like carts and wagons.

By using the old methods instead of the new ones, I saw the world as better off. For under my rule, there was no need to worry about the sizable pollution problems that humanity had created. No amount of work on my part would ever fully restore what had been slowly poisoned and destroyed over the eons, but I knew that when I had made a difference by the time I was finished. Enough of a difference that I felt that I was soon able to provide a stable supply of goods to my people and servants throughout the kingdom without having to worry about a famine spreading.

Something that was spreading at the moment however, was my slowly returning to conscious thought. Sleep receded from my mind and pushed out of existence for the time being. When I was aware enough, the first thing to greet me was the gentle hum of my Aibou in the back of my mind. From this, I could tell that he was already awake and this wasn't something that surprised me. Aibou often woke several hours before I did. It was a habit that he had somehow developed through the years that could end up bringing me quite a bit of grief in the mornings if I wasn't careful.

Those were the times when he would slip out of my embrace by placing his pillow in my arms as a substitute and find somewhere to hide away from me. When he first started this, I considered it a game he wanted to play with me. A sort of hide and seek that was just for the two of us, one where I would seek out my lover and then give him the reward that the both of us could enjoy. As time went on however and I realized the true reason why Aibou was hiding from me, it started to lose its charm.

He was trying to find ways to separate us from one of most intimate moments for lovers to share and this frustrated me. My frustration was for more than just Aibou attempting an escape. It was what his actions would sooner or later lead to. I knew that if I allowed Aibou to continue his little scheme without interference, he would eventually grow bold enough to try something more drastic than hiding in the wardrobe. The length that I feared he would forgo hiding from me and try to break through the protection spells that I had placed around both him and the rooms.

If Aibou did that, then there was no doubt in my mind that he would find some way to harm himself. That, more than anything else, would have devastated me completely. To know that he had managed to hurt himself despite all the protection spells and the care that I always took to ensure his well being. I couldn't bear it, so I always took greater pains to discipline Aibou whenever I found him after one his little out of sight, but not out of mind antics.

As punishment, I often ordered Aibou to remain in bed until I feel that he's learned his lesson. To do this, I place him in the center of the bed and then erect bars of shadow magic across the four open areas of the bed. Like always, the shadow magic won't cause undue harm to Aibou should he touch them, but they will make sure that he doesn't try to escape. Then he would have a chance to think about what he had done and then hopefully understand how wrong it was for him to try to leave my side.

By reading his surface thoughts, I knew that the thought had already crossed Aibou's mind. He had decided against it after remembering yesterday's punishment and so had remained safely in my arms in order to prevent having to relive being near the shadows. It was disheartening that he had done it in order to prevent being punished and not for the fact that he wanted to be with me. Still, it was a start. Given more time, I can hopefully convince him to act as he did long ago.

I chose not to let my little one know that I was aware of what he had thought about. Since he had behaved and not tried to hide, then there was no reason to make a big fuss. After all, it would just get Aibou upset when there was no need to. Especially when it was this earlier in the morning, when things were just getting started. So I just let things be and went about driving the remaining sleep from my mind.

_ Good morning, Aibou _I yawned.

I released Aibou from my embrace just long enough to stretch and work the kinks out of my somewhat stiff body. Even if I had spent a pleasant night with him in my arms, I still managed to pick up a few aches one way or another. So as much as I wanted to keep Aibou in my arms and cuddle with him in the early morning light, I still needed to work these annoyances out of my system.

While I did so, Aibou started to inch away from me. He assumed that I didn't notice what he was doing, but I knew full well what he was attempting. My Hikari wanted to put as much distance between us as he could while he thought that it was still possible. I sighed inwardly at his behavior, but again made no move to correct him. It was still early and Aibou was obviously nervous from yesterday, so he probably needed a chance to settle down. That was a chance that I was willing to give him, so I continued to stretch my body out instead.

_/Good morning/ _he answered in a dry tone.

With the link still open, I could easily tell what he was thinking. He was wondering how I could possibly act so calmly after he felt that I had wrongly punished him. To him, I was nothing more than a coldhearted monster that kept him as an amusement and not for the love that I proclaimed for him daily. He believed that I did understand the matters of the heart, or the emotions of love and kindness that are supposed to exist within said heart.

It was more than I could take. I had already been tolerant of Aibou's thoughts because of the edginess that he had from yesterday. I had hoped that he would eventually calm down once he realized that he had been forgiven for disobeying me about cutting off his side of the link. Now though, I knew that the less restrictive I was with him, the more rebellious Aibou was going to act. So the best way to deal with it was to stop the behavior then and there.

_ Stop that _I ordered sternly in his mind.

He visibly winced at my tone. I regretted that, but I knew that there was no other choice. My Hikari needed to be shown that as much as I was willing to be tolerant about some of his behavior, there was a limit to how much I would allow him to get away with. Just like young children sometimes needed to be corrected by a parent or guardian, so too did Aibou need to be corrected by me and know just how disappointed I was in him at the moment.

So I made no effort to hide the frustration that I was feeling towards my Aibou right now. It really irked me to no end that he would choose to be this disagreeable so early in the morning. Why couldn't he just behave for once and be glad that he was safe in my arms where he would always find love and protection? Why did he always have to challenge me on every little thing?

It would be nice if he was only defiant when we were both in a playful mood and ready to do something special just for the two of us. Then I wouldn't mind the challenge of conquering my stubborn little one and giving him a suitable 'punishment' for his rebellion. One that both he and I would actually enjoy, instead of him always screaming out in fear whenever I approached. Whenever Aibou does that, it just breaks my heart even further.

He isn't aware of this though, since his mind was on what he suspected would be either another scolding or a punishment. A scolding was something that Aibou was never really afraid of. It only made him feel like I was treating him as if he were a little child instead of my lover. Punishment however, that was a possibility that I could feel was something that downright terrified him. From his end of the link, I could sense that he felt if he were punished, it would be a lesser extent of what he had endured the day before.

Since his thoughts were merely rebellious, I decided that there was no reason to punish my little one. Instead, I would just scold him and again explain that what he thought wasn't true. So in hopes of soothing his fears, I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close. As I had hoped, he took my signal that he was just going to receive a scolding. It didn't stop him from thinking that I would spend hours lecturing on how he was supposed to behave.

_ You're right. You shouldn't worry about those things, little one/ _I chided as I snuggled closer to him, _/Someone like you is not meant to worry about the melancholy parts of life. You need only think of our bond and staying happy. I will take care of everything else. _

I could feel the outrage building on Aibou's side of the link. He wanted more than anything to tell me off, to let me know the deepest hatred that he felt brewing in his heart. He wanted me to know that he didn't want to be told how to think or act. All Aibou wanted was a chance to think for himself again. A chance to have the peace that he thought that he had known long before I had come into his life. Something, for our own reasons, that we both knew that I would never allow him to have.

Aibou felt that I would never allow him to be alone in my mind because of how I disliked being disconnected from him. In his mind, I could see images of how he thought that I would pierce any resistance he might have and force him to keep his mind open to me. He believed that I would use so much force on him that it would leave him a mere shadow of his former self, that I would create a doll that was good for nothing more than my amusement.

With many things though, Aibou is greatly mistaken on how I truly feel. One reason I would never let him have his thoughts to himself simply for the fact that it would leave him open to danger. There are so many things that could harm my little one if I'm not there to protect him. So as a measure to keep him safe, I want to be aware of everything that passes through his mind. A more important fact is that I just don't like to feel the mental separation from Aibou. I spent enough time without him in both my former life and while trapped within the Millenium Puzzle. Experiences that I have no desire to ever repeat.

I made it a point to let Aibou know of my displeasure for a second time. A little pressure in his mind to let him know that what he was thinking wasn't allowed, especially the thoughts I caught about him believing that he was weak. That kind of thinking I hated more than the thought of Aibou wishing to have our link completely severed or closed. He was not weak and never had been, since no one of that caliber would have come close to being worthy to be my Hikari.

_ I told you to stop thinking like that. You are not weak, Aibou. You are strong _I growled.

_/If I was strong, then I wouldn't be like this. I wouldn't let you hurt me, you bastard/_ he countered angrily.

A cold silence spread over me the instant he said that. In the past, I have sent many a peasant to the Shadow Realm for speaking in such tones to me or about my little one. Now though, I almost feel at a loss how I should act or feel. I most certainly didn't want Aibou to believe that he was weak nor did I wish for him to think that I deliberately hurt him. He had a strong spirit, which was why he was my Hikari. And I only punished him when it was necessary, though never through physical means since I absolutely refused to lay a hand on him in anger.

So a third time in a very short period, I felt my annoyance towards Aibou's behavior rising. Only now, it was coming to the point of anger and for good reason. Aibou's language was in a tone that was completely inappropriate for someone like him. As with many things, he should have known better than to act or say such things. Someone as innocent and pure as a hikari was supposed to be free of such contemptible things.

_ Never use that language again, Hikari. I mean NEVER/_ I ordered, _/I will not tolerate that sort of thing coming out of your mouth or running through your mind. Nor will I allow you to downgrade yourself as a weakling or believe that I hurt you. I love you and do what I must to teach you your place as my Aibou and a Hikari. _

I almost half expected for Aibou to retaliate against my scoldings as he had been apt to this morning. Yet, as he often does, Aibou surprised me. Instead of fighting back, he cringed at my words. His beautiful eyes stared up at me timidly, looking as lost and vulnerable as a young child. Looking at him like that and feeling the fear well up inside of him, I couldn't help but feel my irritation melt away. After all, how could I possibly stay angry with him when he was like that? It would only make him want to withdraw from me even more in an attempt to protect himself.

_ Oh Hikari _ I sighed gently.

Aibou made no attempt to respond to me. He just lay there in silence, berating himself for allowing his fear to show through. For him, it was just another example of how weak he really was when in my presence. He kept thinking that it would give me another excuse to lecture and punish him for displeasing me. My little one wanted to avoid that as much as possible, so for the first time since we awoke, he forced himself to calm down. To him, it was the only way to make anything that had happened better.

_ Just stop thinking like that, Hikari mine. I keep telling you that. I keep telling you that I love you and that there's no reason for you to be afraid anymore _ I soothed, _ Your punishment is over now and I've forgiven you for disobeying me. Be happy now. Smile for me, little one. Smile like a Hikari should. Don't worry about things that don't have any meaning. _

I tried to keep my tone as gentle as possible so that it would help to further calm my little one. It was hard to keep out that slight note of command though. The one that comes from a part of me that always demands obedience from all around me, even my lover. It is a part of me that comes from my former days when I was Pharaoh, Son of Ra, mortal embodiment of the gods themselves. The days when I was trained to know how to become the strongest possible ruler that I could be.

This is perhaps the one assumption that my Hikari has guessed right about my early days before I became Pharaoh. Just as he believed, I did spend most of my younger years being groomed to be strong enough to ensure that my kingdom would endure any threat that came its way. I was to be both its protector and master, the one whose sole purpose was to rule over all that had been created. So I came to expect that those under my power were to always obey me.

Of course, there was more to having absolute power than gaining the unwavering obedience of one's subjects. There were also the many rewards that one could reap from having such power. Rewards that often came in the form of the many material riches and pleasures that the world had to offer. In the past, those had been many of the things that Aibou was listing in his mind of what he thought I would consider suitable reward. And back then, those things had seemed sufficient enough as payment for what I did. Now though, it all pales in comparison to the only thing that I will ever accept as my reward that I get for running my kingdom.

That is none other than the one that I now cradle in my arms, my Hikari. He is the most valuable thing that I have ever owned in either of my lifetimes and I will always keep him, even when he fights me. But that draws me back to the problem at hand. His constant rebellion is something that irritates, confuses me, and wounds my heart all at the same time.

Why couldn't he see that he was my little treasure? I only wanted him to look his best and to pamper him every chance that I could. It was to show him that he was my greatest possession and so deserved to be treated as the most precious thing on Earth. Something that was to be guarded and protected by one being who had the strength and determination to see that the treasure would forever remain untainted by the world. Yet he constantly fights against that fact, taking every chance to undermine my efforts, and push us further apart.

That was the sort of thing that I picked up from Aibou's mind as he lay in my hold. Again, he was already expecting another scolding for both his behavior and having insulted me by calling me a spoiled brat. I pushed aside any desire to scold him anymore than I already had. Aibou had proven that he could somewhat behave the way he was supposed to when we were together, so I felt that deserved a reward. So I just cuddled with my little one and hugged him to me tightly. Just enough to let him know that I wasn't angry with him at all, that I just wanted his company to enjoy.

He almost immediately went slack in my arms. I knew that it was a force of will on Aibou's part not to try and squirm free of my hold. Something, oddly enough, that I was glad for. It was nice just to be able to hold him in my arms without a fight. To feel him as a tangible and ever precious weight in my arms, almost like an anchor keeping me tied to the world.

My feelings of peace were shattered when I felt a new thought coming from the back of my little one's mind. It was one where he believed that if he was patient enough, then he would soon be rid of me for a time. Aibou knew that sooner or later I would leave him to go to Court in order to make sure that things were running smoothly. It was how our days often went and he was expecting nothing to be different this morning. That was the furthest thing from the truth now that I knew what was running through Aibou's mind and it had become the last straw for me.

This time, I couldn't stop the irritation and hurt that welled up inside of me at what Aibou was thinking. I couldn't understand it. I had always tried to be as gentle as possible with him, indulgent with many of his behaviors towards me when others would have suffered eternally for the same things. When it is necessary to punish the little one, I make sure that it is appropriate and causes him no real harm. Yet despite everything, he still couldn't wait to put as much distance between as was physically possible.

Loosening my hold enough to allow Aibou to lean back, I stared down at him with hurt and anger. I made no effort to hide what I felt from him anymore than I did earlier. He needed to know for once how he was truly affecting me. Something sparked inside Aibou's eyes as he at least partially understood what I felt. To him, it was just that I was worried that he wanted to be apart from him. He didn't see the bigger picture the way that I did. Aibou didn't see that I was also worried about our relationship and how I could keep it from deteriorating more than it already had.

I sighed inwardly, drawing Aibou back to me into a tight embrace as I took a moment to examine the problem. Maybe the fact that I allow him to remain alone physically while I am at Court is the root of the problem that I am facing now. For the most part, I did it so that only I would be allowed to gaze upon my Hikari's beauty and to protect him from the harshness of my realm. I wanted to make sure that no flaws or impurities were laid upon his soul by the ignorance of pathetic remainder of humanity. Enough of that had been done in the years before I was able to protect him and it still amazed me that his soul's brilliance survived to that point.

Now though, as I lay wondering what to do, I'm beginning to see that his soul is becoming just what I feared it would be. Not with the impurities that comes from being exposed to lowly humans and their ilk. No, my Aibou's beautiful soul was becoming impure from constantly being without the shadows of my own soul to help balance out its brilliance. Not from mental separation of course, as I keep that channel open as much as possible. No, the real problem that caused the shadows to eclipse Aibou's soul was the physical separation.

Realizing this, I could think of only one solution of how I could start to repair things. It was something that would not only be a major change for Aibou and me, but for everyone else in my palace. The disturbance I knew would eventually come would take a little time to cope with, that I was certain of. Yet it was that I was willing to make undergo if it could correct the problem that I had obviously allowed to go on for too long.

"You will not be remaining in your quarters today, Aibou. You will be coming to Court with me for the day," I said.

Though he again tried to hide it, I could feel Aibou shiver against me when I made that announcement. I was actually surprised that he was more afraid of going out into the open than he was staying by himself. To Aibou, leaving our chambers and going out into Court meant that he no longer had the protection he felt came from staying behind in the rooms. Instead, he would be facing an ugly world that hated and despised him all on his own.

That wasn't true of course. Aibou was not as alone as he thought he was since I was there. And I would always provide protection against anything that might upset or harm him, so there was no reason for him to worry about being hated by anyone. Still, I suppose that's another thing that we need to overcome. My little one has just spent so much time alone that he's forgotten how to socialize with anyone else but me.

"You spend too much time alone here, little one. That is what makes you so upset and uneasy when I come for you. I don't want my Hikari acting like that. So it will do you good to get out for the day and have the chance to get some fresh air," I continued.

My words did little to ease his fears though. They were still there, if not stronger in some ways. Well, that would change soon enough. Once I got Aibou prepared and took him to Court, I would show him that there was nothing to fear. He and I would be side by side, with me providing all the protection that one so beautiful and delicate could ever possibly need.

A/N: Man, am I glad that's over. It's getting tough to write this story from two such different POV's. But don't worry, I've already got the next 2 chapters in the works and I'll try to have both of them out by the end of July if not sooner. But thanks to everyone for their patience in how slow I've been with updating this story. I promise that I'll try to be faster with both my stories from now on.


	5. Rueful Hearts

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

Rueful Hearts

A/N: Good news. One, I finally got this chapter off the ground and am working on the next one. Two, Icarus finally got his stitches out and I don't have to worry about him as much anymore. Bad news, he is now free to roam again and spends his nights driving me to insanity and insomnia. So I'm more or less back to square one. Stupid cat. x.x

In the past, a Pharaoh and his court might dine in a grand hall decorated in hieroglyphs and golden artifacts. Servants would come from every corner, ready to leap at a moment's notice to see to the needs of the nobility. There might be talk of upcoming festivals or troubles occurring throughout the kingdom, probably even praise for the Pharaoh's rule and the number of heirs that he had managed to produce to continue his line.

In these so-called modern times however, that was the one thing that Yami hadn't bothered with. Instead, he had built something a little simpler for the two of us to share. A special corner had been set aside with a table that was supposed to be set for two, but often had only one chair occupied. The other, which was supposed to be mine, would remain empty since Yami often took charge of the seating arrangements. At this quiet little corner, the mighty Pharaoh often chose to seat me in his lap and then spoon-feed me so that he was certain that I ate every bite. Like many other things that involved the dear Pharaoh, it was another case of how he treated me like a child and a possession. As often as this happened, it wasn't to say that this was a daily occurrence for me.

Times did come when Yami wasn't present for every meal. There were naturally days when the matters of his 'kingdom' demanded his immediate attention and he was forced to deal with it. He would leave me alone then with strict instructions that I was to eat everything offered to me. If the plate wasn't clean when he returned, then I could either look forward to being lectured like a five year old or being force fed until he was satisfied that I had eaten enough.

I enjoyed neither, so a good part of the time I obeyed these orders. There were times when I managed to find away around them though. After all, Yami had only stated that I was to eat what was given to me on the plate when he was there. He never said that I had to eat anything else from the food-laden table. So when I ate only what was on my plate, I wasn't disobeying his orders and that was something not even Yami could deny. He might huff about it, saying that I should have eaten more anyway to keep up my strength, but he couldn't punish me then for disobedience.

It was a small victory that I tried to enjoy for as long as I could. But like everything in this world, my little victories always came with a price in the end. Whenever I didn't eat as much as Yami liked, it only made him more determined to make me eat what he felt was the proper amount the next time. So I could always look forward to being stuffed to the point of almost puking up everything that the dear Pharaoh had given me.

He worries about when that happens, since to him it could be a sign that I'm getting sick. But he doesn't make as big a fuss about it as when I don't eat properly. A subject whose source I've come to wonder about on many occasions. I honestly don't know exactly where the food we eat comes from anymore. There aren't any farms that I know of anywhere within a five hundred-mile radius of the palace. Nor were there any forests where it would be possible to hunt for any game that was suitable for consumption. So I could only assume that the food was either traded for as in the old days or there were farms somewhere out there where human slaves were forced to spend their days growing food for the Pharaoh's court.

Whatever the source, I knew that what we had on our table was the best that anyone in the world could hope to consume. There were fruits and vegetables that were prepared in the most delicate manner so that they literally melted on the tongue. Breads, pastries, and cereals that had such an exquisite taste that one couldn't be sure if it was real or a wonderful dream. At least, that is how most people would see it.

I on the other hand, see it all as both a waste of time and good food that would be put to better use for the starving masses who lived outside the palace perimeter. These were people who weren't part of the Resistance but who were forced to serve as the peasant class for the kingdom. They did the majority of the work that allowed for resources to be mined and shipped but were allowed little in return to ensure their own survival.

It eerily reminded me of ancient times when humans did the same thing to one another as Yami was doing now. When the strong would use their power to oppress the weaker and force them into situations from which there was no escape. The only choices were to either conform peacefully so that existence could at least be bearable or fight back and risk being beaten down so badly that all that would be left but an empty shell.

Sort of like how I felt as Yami directed us away from out bed and towards the table. As I expected, it was laden with enough food to choke an entire herd of elephants. Most of it was fruits that had been delicately prepared in the shapes of dragons, beautiful birds of prey, and other mythical beasts. There were a few pieces of bread that could have passed as toast if not for the way that they had been arranged like mini obelisks of golden brown. A few bottles of scented juice and milk were set off to one side with a pair of glasses next to them.

I already knew that no servant had set this table because of the spell that kept all others out of this room. They had prepared the dishes of course, since there was no way for the meal to just simply appear as if out of thin air. Well, to a certain extent the food did that. After being prepared by the kitchen chef and his underlings, the food was transported from a special platform to the table in our quarters. That was thanks to a spell that Yami had set up in the early days to make it easier to bring food to our quarters and to make certain that I never had to go far when I was hungry.

It worked by a teleportation spell that was influenced by the mood of the user when they touched a certain area that had been enchanted. When a person wanted to move something, they would touch the object, normally a newspaper sized platform, a channel would be opened. This channel was connected from the object and another location that was within a mile radius. When it was opened, whatever was on the platform was transported to the other location. And that was how every meal and snack that we had arrived on our table.

Just as I expected, my chair would remain empty this morning. Instead I found myself sitting in Yami's lap while he seated himself in his ornate, cushioned chair. He had one arm looped loosely but firmly around my waist while the other reached out for a spoon. Dipping the spoon into a platter of pears and apple slices, Yami scooped up a small bit and then held it before my mouth. I looked at the spoon's contents, hesitating for a moment before finally opening my mouth. A sense of elation and happiness filled the back of my mind as Yami gently shoved the spoon into my mouth.

This continued for several moments as Yami alternated between feeding the both of us. The majority went to me, as Yami was apparently trying to make sure that I ate enough to keep up my strength. When my stomach felt beyond full, I gave Yami a pained look and sent my distress along our link to let him know that I couldn't eat anymore. Speaking to him either verbally would not have had the same effect as what I had done. He would able to tell that I wasn't lying to him just to get him to stop feeding me. Yami knew that I was too full to take anymore.

Once he was done feeding me, Yami just kept a grip around my waist and fed himself a little bit more to satisfy his own hunger. I just sat there in his lap, watching and waiting for Yami to finish. He took little time in doing so. When he was done, Yami gently ushered me out of his lap and stood up after me once I was on my feet. Yami took a moment to use a napkin to wipe away a little bit of juice that had clung to my lips before taking my hand and leading me away from the table back towards our bedroom.

I groaned inwardly. I knew what was going to happen now. With breakfast done, it was now time for us to get dressed for Court. Or more rather, Yami was going to get us dressed for his Court. He would choose plush and luxurious robes that were made of fine silk and bedeck us both in ornaments of gold and rare jewels. The clothes, no matter how gaudy or uncomfortable, I could easily deal with. It was the jewelry that bothered me the most and that was because of just what I would have to wear.

One of the things that I always wore whenever I left my cage was the source of all my troubles, the Millenium Puzzle. As it was his most powerful artifact in his possession and was one of his symbols, this was sort of like Yami's brand upon me. It showed the world to just whom I belonged to and that it would be unwise to think otherwise. Something that was further emphasized by what else I wore around my neck when I left the boundaries of my cage.

Besides the Millenium Puzzle, there was one other ornament that I wore and this was the special necklace that Yami had personally constructed for me. It was made out of the purest gold and silver with precious jewels of diamonds, rubies, and amethysts set in the likeness of his personal symbol, the Eye of Horus. It was truly a beautiful piece of work that anyone who knew no better would love to be gifted with.

I on the other hand, knew all too well that there had been an ulterior motive to the necklace that Yami had given me. It was no mere trinket made simply to enhance what the dear Pharaoh considers my natural beauty, though that was definitely part of its function. The major purpose behind that gaudy piece of trash was the same as the collar one would put on a dog, something to mark me as owned and chained to my Master when he attached the 'leash'.

The leash was a golden encrusted piece that matched the necklace I wore and had a length of about seven feet. There was enough reach on it where I could move about slightly but not enough where I would be out of Yami's immediate reach. Just the sort of thing that one put on a favorite pet when they didn't want said pet getting away from them.

That was the image I always saw in the mirror whenever Yami put that damn collar around my neck. He claims that I'm his treasure, his partner and lover, the one that he will always love and protect from everything in the world. So he puts the collar on me to let everyone that I am his and that no one else may touch me. But no matter what he says, all I feel like is pretty little pet that he likes to cuddle sometimes and then torture others. The latter coming out more often than the former on any given day.

_/Hush, little one. None of that right now. We need to hurry so that we'll be presentable for the Court, Aibou. As cute as you look right now, it wouldn't do for you to arrive in a slept in tunic/_ he chided as he came to a stop before a large wardrobe.

Again, I chose not to respond to his comments. Instead I just stared at the open closet that was now before me, not really paying attention to the countless outfits that lay within. If I had been paying attention, maybe I would have had the chance to feel the same disgust that I always did when I looked at my clothes. Every piece had been a personally designed gift from Yami after he had completed his palace and moved us in permanently.

Most of my wardrobe resembled the clothes worn by the Pharaoh's favored during his original reign in ancient Kemet. The robes and tunics were arranged in a wide variety of colors that were supposed to be representing of a Hikari's cheerful and carefree nature. Orange, yellow, reds, and blues that were all cut to my specific figure and no other, all decorated with gold tassel linings on the cuffs that were often in the shape of either the Millenium Puzzle or the Eye of Horus.

Of course it was just ridiculous that he had bothered to give me so many outfits when I refused to wear most of them. The only tunics I ever wore without coaxing were the ones of lilac and ebony. These were the only ones that ever suited my present moods and helped to blend me, ironically enough, better into the shadows. The more I remained there, the less likely those that liked to torment me would see me.

Most of the time, Yami allowed me to get away with this. He knew my reasons of course and though he wasn't pleased that someone would dare to tease me, he seemed to find it flattering and adorable that I, a Hikari, a child of the light, would want to have so much to do with the shadows. He took it as another reason why I belonged to him and no one else. So except for the part about taking any given insults to heart, he didn't try to squelch this habit as he did nearly everything else that I did.

Today though, I wasn't going to be able to do that. Today it was going to be one of those days where he was going to pick out something for me to wear and then dress me like a doll. I should have guessed that he was going to be in that sort of mood, considering what he acted like when we woke up this morning. So I kept my tongue and just allowed him to do whatever he wanted with me. It was the only way to get this over with and with as little fuss as possible.

The process of going through the different outfits and judging the colors took Yami half an hour at the least. He kept picking out one outfit, having me try it on, judging the appearance, and then saying that it would have to be discarded in favor of another. None of them seemed to give off just the right appearance to him, so we would keep searching until we found just the right one. As I should have known earlier, the one that caught his fancy ended up being next to last outfit that was in my wardrobe.

The outfit turned out to be a pale blue tunic with the usual gold trim at the hemline and sleeves. It had a hemline that was shorter than I normally wore, since it was one of those that Yami had had made for when he especially wanted to show me off. Which meant that it was probably showing off my body in just the way that Yami liked best. He had me put it on and once I had, that was when he had me slip on the Millenium Puzzle.

I used to wear it wherever I went since I thought that it was the only way to keep myself and Yami connected. There was nothing that anyone could say or do to get me to take it off. That's something that's changed over the years. These days, like everything that has to do with Yami, I want nothing to do with the Millenium Puzzle. I would rather smash it or chuck it into the deepest ocean than wear that monstrosity.

But like everything else in my life, Yami made certain that I couldn't have my wish. Just like when he put a spell on me to keep from harming myself, he did the same with the Millenium Puzzle. The magic strengthens the Puzzle's own structure and ensures that no matter what happens to it, it will remain unharmed. So it can sit perfectly safe on a shelf in my wardrobe, always providing a reminder for me of just what my life had come to.

Yami reached out for said trinket after he had finished dressing me and then slipped it over my head. The Millenium Puzzle felt like deadweight around my neck as it fell against my chest. A weight that I would never escape no matter what I did or how much I tried to fight it. It was my fate to wear the damn thing for eternity as a constant reminder of just how much the higher powers use me as their cosmic joke.

Yet there was no laughter to be felt either by myself or by Yami. The only thing that I felt was bitterness of what the Millenium Puzzle meant to me and how much I wanted to be rid of it. Yami on the other hand, was more concerned about making me presentable. He already knew of the thoughts that I was having and was ignoring them for the sake of finishing the task of dressing me for Court. His work continuing as he attached the necklace around my neck and then the accompanying leash.

_/You are so beautiful, little one. I never grow tired of watching you like this/ _he smiled when he finished adjusting my clothing to how he wanted.

He brushed a stray lock of hair back into place so that he could take a better look at me. I averted my eyes as he did so, seeming to feign shyness at his comment. I really wished that he wouldn't talk like that. There is never any real truth to his words beyond lustful nature that a yami always has for a hikari. They always seek to dominate that which they desire to protect the most, to subjugate it completely despite the impossibility of it. It is a challenge that they will always accept, but never be able to conquer.

_/You are indeed a challenge, Hikari mine, and one that I will gladly accept/_ Yami whispered through the link_// But never think that I only lust after you. I do indeed love you and if you promise to behave today, I'll prove that to you tonight with a special game. /_

I suppressed another shudder at that promise. When it comes to Yami, game always means two things. There is something that will bring him pleasure and the second is that it gives everyone else some sort of pain. I've experienced both ends, often in the form of pleasured pain that I always end up regretting later on. It was the shame that I felt at knowing I had given myself yet again to the lustful attentions of the dark spirit. I always tried so hard to have control over myself when it came to that, but I never managed to succeed.

When Yami applied himself just right during one of our sessions, pleasure always ran through me like wildfire. I could feel every part of my body falling into the purest bliss that it had ever known. It was a sensation that I fought at every turn but couldn't help but beg for more. I wanted Yami to continue whatever it was that he decided to do and never stop. Something, ironically, was the one thing that he never denied me and gave me the full measure of his sexual prowess.

That was probably because it was the one thing that Yami always enjoyed doing the most with me. For him, it was the chance to both dominate and join with me on the most intimate physical level. To show me how much the two went hand in hand when it came to our relationship. For no matter what, he would always be the most powerful force in my life and he would forever be there to cuddle and torture me for as long as we both lived.

Strangely enough, the act itself was never done to me against my will. It was a fact that I always fought against Yami's lustful advances. There was no denying that fact on any front. The deciding factor was that regardless of how hard I fought back, Yami found some way to persuade me to think otherwise. Moving gently and always with purpose, Yami would coerce me into bed and then proceed to pleasure the both of us. With determined fingers and a restless mouth, he would fondle and nip at me until I couldn't help but fall into the same rhythm as he did.

Thus, Yami would get what he wanted in the end. Despite a fearsome reputation and demeanor, it was never by force. If there is one thing that I can count on in this world besides his promise to always protect me, is the fact that I know Yami will never stoop so low as to rape me. It is the one type of honor, however minute, that the Pharaoh actually has. He believes that there is nothing that cannot be won through determination and strategy of the game. The only major importance is that some things are more difficult to win than others are and this uniqueness makes them all the more special a prize.

A sharp slap on my rear brought me shooting back to reality. It wasn't enough to hurt me, but the sting gave me the reminder that I wasn't alone in the room at the moment. So it was a good idea for me to settle my thoughts and shift them to other matters right now. I had to be ready and alert for the silent threats that I knew would be coming my way as soon as we left this room.

My mind prepared for this as I silently watched Yami pick out his own outfit and dress. As if to compliment my clothes, Yami ended up choosing a darker blue robe that went well with the dark cape that he wore no matter where he went. Along with this he wore his normal array of gold rings, bracelets on each wrist, an ornate belt of gold and rubies around his waist, and a circlet-like crown upon his forehead. When he was completely dressed, Yami looked all the part of the Pharaoh that he truly was. One that demanded respect and fear from all that were in his presence, including myself.

A/N: Well that's it for now. I'm sorry that it took so long to get out, but I had a major bout of writer's block when it came to finishing this chapter. I wanted to get it just write and though I finished this, I'm not totally satisfied with what I've got. Which means I'll probably take this chapter down later and replace it with a revision. Until then, thanks to everyone who's been reading and I'll try to have another update ready soon.


	6. Never Doubt the Darkness

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

Never Doubt the Darkness 

A/N: Sorry! I really meant to get this out before the very last day of the year, but it couldn't be helped. A recent accident with my younger cousin has been taking up a lot of my time and so has the general rush of the holidays. But here is the next part of Ignorance, which has sadly been ignored for way too long. I've got half of the next chapter done, so that will be out sooner than before. I should also have another chapter of Light's Sojourn ready in about a week since I'm almost done with that one.

Remembering how light Aibou had felt in my arms the night before, I decided that it would be best to give him an extra portion to help put a little more weight on him. It wasn't healthy for him to put off eating the way that he did. He was going to end up making himself sick again if he wasn't careful and that was not something that I wanted to watch him endure.

Whenever he takes ill, Aibou always becomes so frail. It seems like a single breath could break his body and soul into a thousand pieces, leaving nothing but dust to remember his presence. It breaks my heart to see him like that and I want nothing more than to drive the sickness from his body myself. Sadly, despite all the great powers at my disposal, removing an illness is beyond even my grasp and the only way for Aibou to heal is to let the ailment runs its course.

When he was recovered, I always tried to make certain that he kept his strength up after that. It was the only way that I knew he would be strong enough to keep away any further bouts of illness. After all, as powerful as I am, not even I can prevent someone from becoming ill. The best that I can do is to make certain that he remains healthy and strong enough to resist any sickness that might attempt to harm Aibou.

So I always make sure that he eats the most healthy and best foods that are available in my kingdom. They come from the most fertile farming areas that I have my human subjects working upon. Utmost care is taken in the growing process and anything that shows even the slightest sign of being flawed or diseased resulted the plant being destroyed. The soil that it had been grown in would then be refertilized several times over before anything else was allowed to grow from it again.

The farms used for this cultivation are scattered all over my kingdom to allow more variety and to keep from over using an area. I already knew from my former lifetime that if one wanted to keep land fresh and ready for farming, then it needed a break from growing the same crop over and over again. So every year, I had ordered that the farms would alternate between growing certain crops and then allowing a farm to remain fallow for a year. This always maximized the growing capacity and kept any kind of outbreaks that might occur from spreading.

The same rules applied to the domesticated animals that occupied other farms in my kingdom. The animals were kept under strict care and supervision the entire time they were being cared for. Any that were weak or seemed sickly were immediately disposed of with painless methods if there was no hope to improve their health. The stronger members of the herds were kept to be processed and to breed future generations. Thus the lines of the domesticated beasts my human subjects attended to were kept hearty and pure.

These were all things that I did I had done but something that Aibou had no idea was going on. I knew that there were times when he wondered where the food that we ate came from. By using my memories from the few times that he dared to access our link, he thought that he had been able to access all that I knew of the lands surrounding the palace. Through these, my little one assumed that there were no farms or forest capable of giving us the food supplies that were eaten everyday.

It was another one of the things that I could have corrected but chose not to. Perhaps it was cruel of me to do so, but sometimes it was just better to let him remain oblivious to what went on around him. That helped to keep his innocence intact instead of allowing it to rot away any further. Enough of that had already happened, as was evident with how distant and rebellious Aibou has become in recent months.

I considered this as I led him over to the table that had already been set for us. I remember very well how he used to come to me for comfort and never once questioned the decisions that I made for our safety. He trusted me completely then. Now though, the only kind of trust that I can find with Aibou is that he expects me to hurt him in some way. The way he does when I get out of bed and gently lead him after me. In his mind, he expecting the worst of me.

As I led him from the bedroom to the table where our food was already ready for us, I felt more than a little saddened by his thoughts. I go through so much in order to provide him with the best that my kingdom can possibly produce, yet he continues to feel as if I want nothing more than to hurt him. It is a subject that constantly plagues my own thoughts, especially as of late.

Hopefully, having breakfast and getting out of our chambers for the day might change my little one's opinion just a little. Privately I hope that if he sees that the world is not the way that he believes it has become, it might lighten his mood a bit. Then it would be easier for me to communicate with him so that we could improve our relationship back to what it once was. If that were accomplished, then life would be smoother for the both of us.

This hope lightens my own mood a bit as I lead the way to the food-laden table that I had constructed in our chambers. In the past, I would have had my meals with the rest of my court surrounding me and using it as an opportunity to discuss matters of state, but being with my little one has long since changed that. Meals are something that I have come to feel should be a private affair between the two of us, so I never take my meals with anyone but him Aibou anymore.

Aibou sees it as another opportunity for me to take advantage of him by both treating him as a child and possession. That was why he thought I always made him sit in my lap when we ate together and then spoon-fed him every bite by hand. He thought that both were my attempt to control what he did so that he didn't do any harm to himself. Perhaps there was some truth to that, but not in the way that Aibou felt.

I kept him in my lap when we ate because it was a chance to be close to him when we would soon be separated by physical distance when I went to take care of my kingdom. After all, who would want to pass up the chance to snuggle with someone so beautiful and adorable? As for feeding him, it was simply to make sure that he ate enough to keep himself healthy. It was no secret to me that Aibou didn't eat as much as he needed when I wasn't around.

Those times came when an emergency arose and I was forced to leave Aibou to his own devices. When that occurred, then Aibou would only eat what was already on his plate. He did this because that was an order that I always gave to him to help make sure that he ate something. Once he had cleaned his plate though, Aibou would touch nothing else on the table. He would simply let it be and go find something else to do.

No matter how I tried, it was hard for me to find true fault with Aibou's actions in those cases. After all, I had told him to eat what was placed before him or I would have to punish him for disobeying me. No matter what, Aibou always obeyed me by eating what was on his plate. What I didn't like was that he refused to eat anymore of the food that was so painstakingly prepared for us. He would just leave it on the table to go to waste.

Well, not completely go to waste. What was not eaten at my table was given to my servants, as they too needed their sustenance. Giving my servants leftover was not a good reward in my mind, but since most of it remained untouched at such times none of them seemed to mind. They were merely grateful for that fact that I was willing to share my food with them instead of forcing them to live on their own alone.

Still as I sat down on my cushioned chair and drew Aibou into my lap, I wished that he wouldn't allow the effort put into our meals to go unappreciated. As I pick up a spoon to dip into a platter of pears and apples slices to feed Aibou, I know that he doesn't understand that there is more to the world than he believes. Watching him as he silently debated whether or not to take what I offered to him, I know that he believes that he suffers for the crime of freeing me upon what could be seen as an unsuspecting world. In his mind, what I have done is nothing short of evil and he is the cause of it.

Part of me always wanted to correct him whenever such things entered his head. I knew the way that humans felt about him and how my servants could act, but none of that mattered. What I felt about him was important. What I felt was that he had done no wrong by releasing me. If anything, he had given us both a gift by freeing me since it provided him with an eternal lover and protector while I was given a second chance to regain my kingdom and a treasure that I would guard forever.

Another, more relaxed side of me saw no reason to push Aibou's way of thinking at the moment. Even though he considered our relationship an abomination, my little one was still the source of all my joy. A fact that was strengthened a bit as he finally opened his mouth to allow the spoon entry. I made no effort to hide the relief and happiness that passed through my end of the link as he allowed me to feed him. To me, it was a sign that he was both willing to behave and to accept the meal that had been prepared for us.

I continued to feed Aibou like this for several moments. Of course, I made certain to take my share as well. For every two bites that Aibou took, I would take one. The reason for this was again to make certain that Aibou kept up his strength. He was still a frail little thing who needed to eat as much as possible in order to make sure that he stayed healthy. For myself, it was no worries that I ate less than he did. I would eat enough to satisfy my own hunger after he had been sated.

That time finally came when Aibou turned up to me almost forlornly while I was taking a bite for myself and sent distress along our link. By reading his distress and body language, I knew that the little one had indeed had his fill. More in fact, since he felt that his stomach was a little too full. Knowing that if I fed him anymore it would only make him sick, I didn't give Aibou anything else. Instead, I started to finish my own breakfast while keeping Aibou settled firmly in my lap.

Aibou waited quietly while I ate. He made no effort to get away from me during this time, which was a bonus for me. It gave me a chance to finish my meal peacefully and quickly. After I had finished, I knew that I would be able to leave the remaining food without a second thought. Though there were a few plates that had gone untouched, the amount that had been eaten was more than enough to give acknowledgement to those who had prepared the meal. What remained would be dealt with accordingly thanks to the transportation spell that I had placed upon this certain area of our chambers.

What I concerned myself with was cleaning away the last bit of juice that remained on Aibou's lips after I had allowed him to get to his feet. Following in suit, I took a napkin and gently wiped away the excess. As before, my little one waited quietly for me to finish the duty. When I had finished, I took Aibou's hand to lead him back to our bedroom so that we could get dressed. The morning was still young but it was necessary that we get ready before it grew too much later. After all, today was going to be a special occasion and I wanted my precious one to look his best when he went to Court with me.

The thought of getting dressed was not something that sat well with Aibou. If anything, it frustrated him more than anything else this morning. Aibou was not looking forward to getting dressed, especially since I would be the one who would choose what he wore. And the clothes that I would choose for him, just like the food, was something that Aibou felt was done in excess. He sees no reason for him to have to wear gold and jewels the way that I do. For him, there is no one that he wants to impress with such things.

His thoughts were especially against wearing my former prison, the Millenium Puzzle, outside of our chambers. At one time, it had been a symbol of our bond. For him, there was no greater honor than wearing the Puzzle because it was what had brought us together. Now though, it was nothing more than a sign that I used to brand him so that the rest of the world knew to whom he belonged. It was a point that he felt was emphasized by the ornate gold and silver necklace that I had had made for him several years before.

The necklace was something that I had personally designed. Its metals were nothing but the purest strains of silver and gold that my servants had been able to find. The two had been blended together so that a continuous, sparkling swirl of the metals went around the entire band. As decoration, precious gems of rubies, diamonds, and amethysts had been set along the borders in the pattern of my personal symbol, the Eye of Horus. In all, though it paled in comparison to my little one, it was a beautiful piece of work that I am extremely proud of.

For Aibou though, what I had put so much effort into creating for him was nothing more than a collar for a pet. One that I used to mark him as my own and to attach what he felt was nothing more than a leash to help show him off. The leash that he is so ashamed of is a gold encrusted chain that was made to match the necklace he wore at Court. It was seven feet long and could be attached to the back of his necklace if that was what I chose to do. When it was used, Aibou felt that it was only a lead that I used to keep him close by while he was shown off to the rest of the world like a prized pet.

This was not true of course. I attached the chain to Aibou's necklace simply to keep him close by. After all, as an innocent born of the light, there was no way of knowing when he would decide to wander off to explore. There was still so much in the world that Aibou didn't understand and which could easily arouse his curiosity. It had happened before in the past when we were first brought together. And more than once, it had gotten him into trouble. So I took an extra precaution by keeping Aibou on a chain so that I would be able to bring him back to me in case such things happened.

For my little one though, all he continued to see was a pet that was to be cuddled at some times and tortured at others. He felt that despite my claims that he was my lover and most precious one, that his true worth was so little. That I actually had no consideration for him. Now I wanted none of that running through his head this morning, so I decided to put a stop to it then and there.

_/Hush, little one. None of that right now. We need to hurry so that we'll be presentable for the Court, Aibou. As cute as you look right now, it wouldn't do for you to arrive in a slept in tunic/_ I scolded as we came to a stop before our wardrobe.

Aibou just looked away from me sullenly without a word and focused on looking at the many clothes hanging before us. I shrugged off his silence for the moment since he was at least obeying me. I too turned my attention towards the wardrobe that I had opened to examine the clothing within. A small smile crept to my face as I started to look through the many articles that had also been of my own personal design that I had made for Aibou's benefit.

The majority of the outfits were based off of the clothing that had been popular during my reign in ancient Khemet. I always felt that since I had decided that I had created remade my kingdom from what I was most familiar with, then the same should apply to the way that I clothed my little one. A decision that I must say that had proven to be one of the better ones that I have made in my Aibou's care. The way that the cut of the tunics and sashes complimented his body, especially with the brighter colors that I had chosen to favor a hikari's brilliance, it was breathtaking. There was nothing that I enjoyed more than watching as Aibou moved about in one of the tunics that I had had made for him.

Sadly it is not always easy to get Aibou to wear the clothes that I had for him. Most of the clothes that he has remain unused unless I specifically tell him to for some special occasion. Then he will wear some of them, though still with reluctance. Instead, the clothes that Aibou will mostly wear when he chooses them on his own are those with the colors of lilac and ebony. These he wore without protest were for two reasons. The first was that he felt that they best suited his moods and the second was simply so that he could hide better from others among the shadows.

When Aibou does that, I find no reason to object. It is just simply too adorable to do otherwise. Seeing a light trying to hide among the shadows is not an everyday occurrence since it is the nature of light to shine as brightly as possible. So for my own light to do something so unconventional is simply a sign to me that he truly is mine. After all, I have never been a conventional person so there is no reason to believe that my hikari would be any different.

I don't think that I will allow him to choose his clothing today though. Today was going to be a special occasion so Aibou had to dress for the part. So I was going to search through everything he had and have him model for me until we found the perfect outfit for him. It was a process that I knew would take us some time but that was a course that I was willing to take. Especially since it would give me a chance to catch a glimpse of my hikari's beautiful body.

So for the next half an hour, we went through all of his outfits. Most of them looked absolutely stunning on my hikari, which goes without saying. To me, anything that he wears is perfect. But for some reason, none of them really caught my fancy the way that I wanted. I didn't want Aibou to wear just anything, no matter how good I thought it looked on him. No, I wanted something that allowed him to shine as brightly as he possibly could.

That outfit was finally found after he had tried on all but two of his outfits. The one that I chose for him was a tunic of a pale blue color with the hemline and sleeves trimmed in gold. Said hemline was cut in such a way that it gave me a good view of Aibou from behind, something I could enjoy immensely while sitting on my throne with him next to me. A little bit of a pick me up to enjoy while we dealt with the matters of the day before returning to our chambers later in the evening.

Once Aibou had his clothing on, I went to put the Millenium Puzzle around his neck. This always made Aibou shiver, as I knew that he wanted nothing to do with the Puzzle. At least, not without smashing it to bits so that it no longer connected us. Something that he desired greatly but once again a wish that I had denied him through strong will and a powerful magic spell.

Said spell was similar to the one that had long ago placed on Aibou in order to prevent him from hurting himself. Only this spell was to ensure that no harm came to the Puzzle. It strengthened the very structure of the Puzzle so that nothing could break it and so ensured that it would remain whole. As long as it did, then it helped to provide a stronger bond between Aibou and myself.

As I slipped the Millenium Puzzle over Aibou's neck, I could easily sense his disgust with the situation. He felt like that he had just been given another reminder of the burden that came from having to be with me. That it was a sign that he was a cosmic joke for some other higher power at his expense. Yet I was not laughing as I then put on Aibou's necklace and the chain. There was no reason to do such a thing when it was not true. The only truth was that I as finished adjusting Aibou's clothing, there was never anyone more beautiful than he was.

_/You are so beautiful, little one. I never grow tired of watching you like this/ _I smiled proudly.

I brushed aside a stray lock so that I could get a better look at my little one. He turned away, acting as if he were feeling shy. I knew better. All that Aibou felt right now was that there was again no truth to my words about him. The only thing think he believed that I felt was the lustful attention that a yami gives to their a hikari. The kind of attention that a yami has to dominant that which we protect the most, to conquer that was impossible simply because of the challenge that it presented.

_/You are indeed a challenge, Hikari mine, and one that I will gladly accept/_ I whispered huskily_// But never think that I only lust after you. I do indeed love you and if you promise to behave today, I'll prove that to you tonight with a special game. /_

Aibou shuddered at my promise. Cold fear ran through him as he realized just what I was suggesting to him. He knew that when I made such a promise, then it meant that we were going to do the one thing that shamed him more than anything else, become intimate. For him, there was nothing worse than he could do than submit to my attentions at such times. It was another occasion when he tried to control himself in my presence but only succeeded in becoming caught in our passion.

The possibility of such a thing couldn't help but make me anticipate the game that I had in mind for us this evening. It was one that we had played before that had ended with what I considered very satisfying results. I would be atop my beloved Aibou, who would be glimmering with the sheen of our lovemaking in the dim light of our rooms. He would stare up at me with half-lidded eyes that shined like pure amethyst, heart racing as he anticipated what would come next.

I always enjoyed it most when Aibou stared up at me while we were in the middle of our lovemaking like that. In those moments, I catch a glimpse of creature that has eyes for no one but me. A creature that was willing to accept everything that I offered without question or struggle. That was the one that I wanted to look upon always but was only allowed fleeting glimpses because of Aibou's often stubborn nature.

Well, if there is one thing that I will always accept that is the challenge to overcome the obstacles placed in my path. So regardless of how stubborn my little one chooses to be, I'm more than willing to meet him all the way on this. It will only make the reward of conquering him all the more satisfying when he finally submits to me and allows us to be as we are supposed to be. Two lovers who have been given an eternity to spend showing one another how deeply our love runs.

Such a thing does not run through Aibou's mind as it does for me. To him, there is only knowing that I will dominate him sometime during the night. Not by force of course, since I would never do such a horrible thing to my little one. No, for him, all he admits to is that the one horror that I would never commit to him is rape. Instead, I would simply seduce him until he gave himself tome willingly.

After a moment of listening to such thought, I decided to bring him back to the present by giving him a nice swat on the rear to let him know that I'm aware of what's running through his mind. Aibou jumped in surprise and guiltily shift his mind elsewhere. Satisfied with that, I let him be for a moment while I dressed in a dark blue robe and cape, along with my usual assortment of jewelry and crown.

A/N: Yow. Glad that this one's finished. I'm now working on the next chapter, which should be out sometime in February. I can't give a definite date since I'm going back to school and am getting more into my major, which will take up a lot of my time along with my job. But I promise that I will have the next installment before too long. Anyhow, Happy New Year everyone!


	7. In Enemy Territory

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

In Enemy Territory 

A/N: And here it is, the next update that I promised. It took a little longer than I thought since I had to rewrite more than half of it this weekend, but it didn't turn out too bad. Once again, that it due to Icarus and Yami Neko keeping me up all night. I don't know if it's possible or not, but I think they were excited about the catnip mice I got them for their birthday. Because as of Feb. 19, my two little furry annoyances have turned 2 years old. All grown up but they still act like brainless kittens sometimes, ah well. -.-

At any other time, the shimmering veil that keeps me locked in my cage would have prevented my passage. But with Yami at my side, I would feel nothing of the magic spell that so often kept me confined and others out of the cage. All he had to do was wave his hand once and the curtain disappeared as if it had never been. It was not that simple though. All it would take was another wave of the hand and the veil would return at Yami's leisure. Which was how things would go when he returned me to my cage at the end of the day.

That respite seemed like an eternity from now as we passed through the now unblocked doorway. Like always, Yami kept a semi-grip on his end of the leash as he used the other hand to lead me out of my cage and into the corridor beyond. I knew that he could feel the fear that was coming off me in waves, as it always did whenever I stepped out into the world again. Not surprisingly, he sent back amused and confident reassurance that all would be well for me through the link.

It was times like this that I actually wish that I had his confidence in these things. If I did, then I wouldn't have to deal with all the fear and confusion that I confront whenever I enter the world again. I would be able to look at the world beyond me with a straight and impassive face that at least gave me a semblance at having some dignity. Unfortunately that wasn't the case and all I could do was let myself be led to what might as well have been my execution.

Our journey after the doorway would go either one of two ways. Either Yami would use his shadow magic to directly teleport us to the throne room, thus making it an extremely short journey, or we would walk. If he chose to do the latter, then it meant that we were in for a long journey. One where I knew that I was going to the target of a great deal of well hidden ridicule and insults. Which meant that I was going to have to be more on guard than ever if I wanted to make it through this day unscathed.

For in the world beyond my cage, everyone desires my death and for me to feel pain. Everyone has their own reasons but it is enough to always make me wary. Not that I always had to really worry, even if it was by habit. For all those that wanted to hurt me, there was no real way for them to hurt me physically for the simple reason that Yami would not allow it.

First there were the many spells that he had placed upon me to prevent any harm coming to me. This included the one that he had cast to prevent me from harming myself and then a magical shield that would repel all possible enchantments. He had none that would prevent someone from getting me with a knife, despite the way that the first spell on me worked. But in place of a spell, Yami had himself as a protection for me.

He believed that since I was never let outside the palace and rarely left my cage to begin with, then there was no need to worry about a weapon being used against me. After all, as far as I knew, no human had ever managed to penetrate beyond the outer wall of Yami's palace. The defenses he deployed in order to protect his main base of operations was almost as thorough as the enchantments that he placed on me. The difference was that these were meant to either kill instantly or to provide slow torture for anyone who activated them instead of protection as they were for me.

That was how many unfortunates had met their end. All had had ideas of revenge and freedom in their minds when they had approached the boundaries of Yami's capital city. For them, if they were able to kill the Pharaoh that had caused the world such misery, then there would be a better future for everyone. Little did they know that as soon as they stepped into the city, then their fates were sealed. None of the humans who dared to venture towards the center of Yami's power ever left alive.

More than just spells saw to that of course. Besides that, there were also the Monsters that served as Yami's personal servants, soldiers, advisors, and bodyguards. These were creatures that always took their duties to their Master very seriously. If there was anything that dared to threaten him or what he had built, they would destroy it without a second thought. And these were the very creatures that we would be spending the entire day with once we reached Yami's throne room.

My feet started to drag a little as I thought about this. I was really starting to dread this day more than I already was. I was wishing with all my heart that Yami would suddenly change his mind and allow me back into my cage. It might have been a prison, but it was still somewhat of a haven from the things that we were about to face. But that was a grace that I would not have this day. I knew that like almost all the decisions that he made, Yami would stick by this one without hesitation and no argument on my part would change that.

The one thing that my unease did influence was how Yami would take us to his throne room. He easily sensed that I was becoming wary of taking the long way down, so he must have decided to teleport for my sake. At least that was the only logical conclusion that I could draw when the world around us suddenly went black. I felt deep chills running over my body for a few brief seconds, though I could also feel the warmth of Yami's hand in my own. Both darkness and sensation left almost as quickly as it had come, revealing a room that was designed after an ancient Egyptian palace. And it was occupied by none other than the large group of Duel Monsters that handled the smaller matters that occurred in Yami's kingdom.

At the sudden appearance of their Pharaoh, the entire group stopped whatever they were doing and bowed low with deep respect. It was the only time that anyone would ever see them in such a position. At all other times, the creatures that now stood around us would be at full alert and ready to tear into any that presented themselves as prey or opponent. But when it came to their Master, there was nothing that they wouldn't do for him.

Their loyalty to him ran as deeply as possible. They would easily go to battle for him, ready to sacrifice their own lives to help him accomplish his goals. No task was too immense or time consuming for them to ever refuse his commands. Anything to satisfy the one that allowed them to use their own powers without being restrained to the realm from which they were born into.

Yami met their attention with the usual amount of gratitude for their services and loyalty. This was always in the form of an almost gentle nod that he reserved only for his many servants. He knew how the Monsters felt about him and why, something he acknowledged without a problem. That was how he was, always willing to offer near kindness to those that were loyal to him and to offer dire punishments to those that dared to challenge him.

Me on the other hand, I came nowhere near receiving the sort of attention that Yami was getting. At the sight of me, the gathered Monsters either ignored me completely or shot angry glares at me when they thought that their Master wasn't watching. I had no illusions about why they were acting like this. As I had long known, they were just giving me their personal opinion of me while I was finally in their company. Basically, it was a way of letting me know that despite being the Pharaoh's hikari I was still nothing more than an ungrateful human.

I couldn't help squirming slightly as I felt a few of the colder stares at my back. Even if I knew and accepted what the Monsters felt about me, that didn't mean that it made things any easier to deal with. Nor did it stop me from wanting to turn and run away, ironically, to my cage as fast as I possibly could. In that way, I wouldn't have to deal with things that I was normally able to wallow in alone.

_/And that is the reason why I brought you out today, little one/_ Yami said to me, _/It is because you have allowed yourself to become so melancholy that all you think about is feeling sorrow and misery. You need to be out more to understand that there is a great deal for you to live for and once you accept it, then there will be nothing for you to worry about./_

_That doesn't mean that I have to like it, Yami. I never liked being in the middle of a crowd even before we met_ I countered softly.

It was neither an insult nor was it a challenge. It was merely the truth and that was something not even the great Pharaoh could deny. Long before I had even been given the Millenium Puzzle, it had never been easy for me to fit into the crowd. Whether it was my appearance, short stature, or then shy personality, I always found it difficult to try and mingle with others. That didn't always stop me from trying of course, since like any child I would try to make friends among my peers. I never succeeded much, given the track record that I had accomplished by the time that Yami had come into my life. And that had been when I was among humans, so being among Monsters was definitely going to be harder to deal with on any level.

_/Shush little one/_ Yami ordered gently in response,_ /Now is not the time for you to be making a fuss or thinking about things like that. You know how to behave at my Court and I expect you to do so./_

I made no further answer, either verbal or mental. All I did was duck my head in a sign of mock submission and keep my silence. It was the best way to avoid both Yami's wrath and making a scene. The latter I didn't care about, since the opinions of the creatures surrounding us made no difference to me. But the former, well, my opinion on that has long since been stated and not something that I would want to risk at this point.

Yami accepted my submission with a gentle smile. He sent his approval down through our link as he led me towards his throne. For once, I had done something right instead of screwing it up and giving myself more grief. A small consolation in my situation but one that was better than nothing. Especially since it was probably the only one that I would be getting all day.

While Yami seated himself on his throne and attached his end of the leash to one of the arms, I was forced to settle myself on a cushion that was next to it. The cushion was specifically placed there for whenever I joined Yami at Court for the simple reason that he wanted to keep me close. Even if he was among his own, Yami was still very possessive of me and wanted to make sure that I was always close by in case he felt I needed to be protected or whisked away. A treatment that for once, I wasn't going to argue with. Right now, as he always was in these situations, Yami was the only protection that I had against the Monsters that surrounded us.

To minimize the situation, I kept my silence and focused my attention solely on the platform that supported Yami's throne and my cushion. Experience had taught me enough that it would be unwise to attract any attention to myself. If I did, it would only bring those cold-hearted stares of disgust and superiority from the many Monsters who were around us. The same looks that I always received whenever Yami decided to parade me around the palace like some precious little trinket that no one had ever seen before or ever would again.

It was no mystery to me why they acted this way towards me. I knew that despite their unquestionable loyalty to my other half, most of his Monsters hated me. In their eyes, I was nothing more than a pathetic human who didn't appreciate the so-called gift that I had been giving by being the one person that Yami loved unconditionally. If they had had their way, I would have become just another plaything like the others long ago.

Then they would have searched for one that they felt was more worthy of their Master's affections, someone who didn't take his favors for granted as I supposedly did. Someone who would do everything possible to see that he was just as happy as he attempted to make me. Someone that wasn't some lowly human who had been chosen by Ra to bring about the return of their Master and his reign.

Despite how they felt towards me, I knew that none of the Monsters would dare to harm me in any way. There was a strict, unspoken code that anything that belonged to their Master was off limits to all but him. Anyone who dared to harm or destroy anything that the Master held dear, then their life was forfeit either by his hand or those that served him. It was how things had always been for them and how it would always remain.

That didn't take away any of the fear that I always felt around those damn bastards when I was forced to come to Court. Just knowing and seeing what they were capable of was more than enough to keep that instilled deep in my soul. That fact had different levels though, as my fear of each Monster is actually distinct. Some of the weaker Monsters, like the Kuriboh and Skull Servant, I feared out of common sense because they could bite and claw at someone to harm them.

When it came to stronger Monsters, my fear was for the amount of power that they radiated. Most of them just had this aura that practically screamed danger to everyone around them. The kind where you knew that it was better to just nod and agree with whatever they did or risk being torn apart in a heartbeat. The kind who didn't even know that a word like 'mercy' even existed.

Of these, there was one to be feared above all others. One that, as a child, had actually be my favorite card out of all the Duel Monsters. In that one Monster, I could see who I wanted to be but could never amount to. He was strong and powerful enough to protect himself and other and looked so calm and collected on the card which bore his image. There were few who could equal to or greater than him in power. And it was something that I admired him for. That was Monster was none other than the Dark Magician.

Knowing the Dark Magician in person however, is a much different matter than the naïve image that I had created for myself. It was true that the Dark Magician was a very powerful being, there was no doubt about that. But he was nowhere near being the kind and protective being that I thought that he would be. If anything, he was nearly as cruel and as calculating as the one person that he will ever call his Master.

There has been many a time when I have watched him wipe out his opponents with absolutely no sense of remorse in his actions. His eyes would remain as cold and impassive as a snowstorm as it cuts across the land with a fury unmatched. Those that are caught in his path are nothing more than insects whose sole purpose was to be exterminated. This attitude includes both his fellow Monsters and humanity, though definitely more for the latter.

I knew that he felt that all humanity was an inferior species that only had the sole purpose of serving the Pharaoh. Only under his rule could the species as a whole actually amount to anything useful. After all, if left to their own devices as they had been since Yami was sealed away in the Millenium Puzzle, humans would only squander away what the planet had given to them. That was not a fate that the creatures of the Shadow Realm desired for the Earth, even though they were not native to its soils.

If such a topic was among the things that Yami and his Court discussed today, I really never knew. I had long since learned to block out any conversation unless I heard any of my 'titles' mentioned. When that happened, I knew that it was in my own best interests to pay attention to what was being said. After all, there was no telling how such talks would affect me if I ignored them.

Thankfully, I was never mentioned in any of this session's topics so I didn't have anything to worry about. All I had to do was just sit quietly and make myself as invisible as possible. If I could pull that off, then I didn't have anything to worry about. Everyone else, with the exception of Yami, would continue on with their business as if I wasn't there. A situation that would ironically make the majority of those involved happy.

The only time when I was really acknowledged by anyone was when a tray of food was brought to Yami little bit before midday. It was laden with light foods like fruits, breads, and a few choice meats that were not meant to be a real meal. Instead, it was just something that would tide the dear Pharaoh over until after the Court session was over. By doing this, it helped to ensure that there would be as little distraction as possible so that more could get done.

Most of the time, Yami barely glanced at the food offered to him. He was one of those people who could go an entire day on a single meal without feeling any real hunger. Yami was never the first one that the food was offered to whether he ate or not though. That honor fell to me, since Yami had ordered that whenever I came to Court with him, all food was to be given to me first. He knew that I didn't have the same constitution as him and so required something in my stomach to keep me from feeling faint.

Most of the time, I would accept the food. I never ate much though. The best that I could ever force myself to endure was a few bites while the Monsters constantly glared me whenever Yami wasn't watching. Somehow, I just couldn't bring myself to eat anything among those that I could only consider my enemies. I mean, I was used to their hatred of me but most of the time, I never had to deal with it firsthand since I spent so much time locked away. When I was among them however, it seemed that things became a different story.

I suppose that there was still a small part of me that remember the hurt and fear that I had suffer at the hands of the many bullies that were once a constant in my life. When I was away from them, it was easy to tell myself that I would find a way to deal with them and that I would be okay. But when I was actually facing them, I could never bring myself to do more than try and get away as fast as I could. It was the only way that I knew to keep from panicking more than I already did and letting them know how afraid that I could feel at times.

I knew that some of the Monsters sensed my fear despite how much I tried to hide and I knew that Yami was aware of it as well. For the former, they simply enjoyed the fact that they were able to strike some fear into the one that abused their master's affections so much. The latter however, well, he just sent more reassurances down through the link and then urged me to eat more of the food that was offered to me so that I could keep healthy. He said that just like eating my other meals, he would not allow me to become ill just because I was being stubborn.

So when the food did come, I ate a little bit to keep Yami from scolding me again. I also continued to remain silent and seemingly ignore everything that was happening around me. It was like I just allowed my mind to almost drift off into nothingness as the hours stretched on without end while a small part of me that remained behind. A small part that was aware of when something changed in the scope of the world that surrounded me. A change that was about to bring what my life had become to a halt and either make it worse than what I already had or perhaps, just maybe, better than I had long since given up hope for.

A/N: Okay, there we go. As promised, this is the finished update that I promised everyone for February. I will try to have another one ready as soon as possible, though this time I can't give any estimations on when that will be. I can say that I should have the next chapter of Light's Sojourn ready is a few weeks since I already have most of the chapter written. I just hope that my professors let up a little on the projects so that I can have a little more time to write. But whatever happens, thanks for reading and I'll update again as soon as I can.


End file.
